


To Find My Way Back to You

by Yen



Category: True Blood
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-01
Updated: 2013-03-21
Packaged: 2017-12-04 02:09:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 64,441
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/705299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yen/pseuds/Yen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU after Sookie walked away from both Bill and Eric in the end of season 4. It's Sookie's journey in finding her way back to Bill.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It's been two weeks since Sookie walked away from Bill and Eric and she tried to get her life back to normal. Well, as normal as it could be for her. After everything that she went through, she doubted that her life would ever be normal again. But then, she never had a normal life, even before she was thrown into the chaotic world of supernatural. But she was determined to go back to her life before vampire. She resumed her job at Merlotte's and she realized that she's not the only one who's going through difficult time. Sam had just lost his brother and Lafayette was doing even worse. Ever since that night two weeks ago, he's been slipping into a sort of depression. Tara and the others have been trying to cheer him up, but he brushed aside their concern and pretended that everything is okay. He didn't fool anyone, of course. They knew that he blames himself for what happened to Jesus.

Sookie decided that she needs some time alone, to figure out her feelings and emotions. So, for the past two weeks, she had been avoiding the vampires and any other supernatural beings, except for Sam. She hadn't seen Bill since the day she walked out from his house and she really appreciated the fact that he respects her decision and gives her the space that she needed.

Eric, on the other hand, didn't seem to give up. She spotted him a few times roaming around her… um, his backyard (the house is still his after all). Thankfully, he didn't try to enter the house.

'Well, that's good enough.' Sookie thought.

Ever since she walked out from Bill's house two weeks ago, she had been thinking about her feelings toward both of the vampires. She loved both of them and she couldn't imagine her world without them. She wanted them, both of them. However, she knew that due to their possessive natures, they wouldn't want to share her, despite of her dream. At nights, she laid awake, trying to figure out what she should do. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't bring herself to choose between the two of them.

She knew that she couldn't avoid them forever. Bon Temps is a small town and sooner or later, she'd have to face them, especially since one of them is her neighbour and the other one can be found roaming at the backyard. Besides, if she's being honest with herself, she missed them.

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

The doorbell rang and Sookie rushed down the stairs to open it to find Jason standing at the doorway in his cop uniform.

"Hi Jace! Come on in…" Sookie stepped aside to make way for Jason. They made their way to the kitchen and Sookie poured herself and Jason grabbed a beer from the fridge.

"So, what's up? I haven't seen you in two weeks! Where have you been?" Sookie asked him after both of them were seated in the kitchen.

"Here and there… You know, work…" He trailed off. He looked rather nervous. He started to play with his cup of tea and refused to look at Sookie in the eyes.

"Sook, I came here to talk to you. I need your… uh, advice." Jason said finally.

"What is it, Jason? What kind of trouble that you get yourself into this time?" Sookie asked him curiously.

"A big one, I guess. You see, I… uh… I slept with Jessica." Jason dropped his gaze.

"You WHAT?" Sookie looked at Jason in disbelief.

"I can't help it, Sook! Ever since she gave me her blood, I…" Jason tried to explain, but Sookie cut him off.

"She gave you her blood? When? How?" Sookie bombarded Jason with questions.

"Whoa… Slow down. It was a few weeks ago. She was just trying to help me." Jason told Sookie everything that happened at HotShot. Afterwards, Sookie just sat there, staring at Jason, while trying to digest the information.

"I didn't mean to hurt Hoyt. But I can't deny that I'm attracted to her, not just sexually. I think she's beautiful. Maybe it's just the blood, maybe it's something else entirely, I don't know. But right now, I feel bad for Hoyt. What should I do?" Jason asked her. He looked lost. For a moment, there's silence. Neither of them said anything.

"Does Hoyt know that you slept with his girlfriend?" Sookie carefully asked him.

"She's not his girlfriend anymore. They broke up. Jess broke up with him. But, yes. He knows. I told him and he beat me up good on the other day."

"Oh my gosh, are you OK?"

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me. It's not the first time that I got beaten up." Jason assured her.

"Okay, now they're no longer together, so you just jumped into bed with her?"

"No! She came to me. We talked. We decided that this is what we want." Jason defended himself.

"So, she tried to seduce you?"

"Maybe, but I'm telling you, Sook, I'm a willing participant." Jason said with a smirk. Sookie just looked at him.

"Jason, did she tell you what happens when you drank from her?" Sookie asked him after a while.

"You mean the blood bond? Yeah, she did. She explained to me the other night."

"So, you know what the blood could do, right?"

"Sort of… But I think… I think I love her, Sook."

"Jason, are you sure that you really love her? It could be the bond. The blood bond could make you think that you have feelings toward her. But they may not be real." Sookie said.

"Are you saying that what I'm feeling towards her ain't real? That the blood, her blood, was making me feeling things? Hey, just because your own blood bond relationships are screwed up, it doesn't mean that Jess and I don't have any chance!" The moment those words came out from his mouth, Jason regretted it.

"That's exactly what the bond does to you. It makes you feel things, unreal things. It confuses you. It's messing up with your mind, with your heart. Until in the end, you don't know what to feel anymore! It doesn't do anything but breaking your heart!" Sookie's tone was getting higher and higher to the point of shouting.

"I'm sorry, Sook… I didn't mean to say that." He tried to apologize, but Sookie wasn't listening to him.

"Look, you do whatever things that you wanna do, but when she breaks your heart, don't say I didn't warn you." Sookie snapped at him.

"Okay, fine! I came here to ask for your help, not to be yelled at. I should've known better!" Jason stood up and walked away from her. But Sookie followed him and held him back by his arm.

"They're nothing but trouble, Jace. I don't want you to go through the same heartbreak and confusion that I'm going through." Sookie said softly. Her eyes were filled with unshed tears.

"I'm sorry, sis. I know that you're going through a hard time, but I never felt anything like this before. I don't know if what we have is real or not. Maybe if there's no blood bond between us, I wouldn't feel the same way, but what's done is done. So unless there's a way to cut off the bond, there's no way of knowing if what I feel is real or not." Jason said. Sookie's eyes widened in surprise.

"Jason, you are a genius!" Sookie suddenly exclaimed, much to Jason's confusion. She threw her arms around him and gave him a tight hug. After they pulled away from each other, Jason looked at Sookie and said, "Not that I don't appreciate the hug, but what did I do?" Jason held her at arms' length. Her sudden change of mood surprised him.

"You, mister, have just given me the answer to my problem." Sookie said with a big smile on her face.

"What?" Jason got even more confused.

"If I could just break the bond, then I can finally sort out my own feelings." Sookie said excitedly.

"You mean like breaking the blood bond?"

"Yes! If the bond is broken, then I would know how I really feel about them, without any influence from the damn bond."

"Okay. That makes sense. But how do you know that it's gonna work?"

"I don't. But it's worth a try, isn't it? I mean, ever since I met them, I've been under the influence of the bond. Even if it didn't help me in sorting out my feelings, well… at least, I'd be free from any blood bond."

"Yes, that's definitely worth the shot. But how do you do it?"

"How do I do what?" Now, it's Sookie's turn to look confused.

"How do you break the bond? Is it even possible?"

"Ah…" Sookie's smile faded. "Now, that is the one million dollar question."


	3. Chapter 3

Sookie found herself standing at Bill's front porch. She took a deep breath and pressed the doorbell. A second later, the door was opened by a guard.

"Can I help you?" The guard asked her.

"I'm looking for Bi… uh, sorry, King Bill." Sookie quickly corrected herself. She didn't think she'd ever get used to his title.

"The King is in a meeting right now. Do you have an appointment?"

"Um, no…" By now, Sookie started to think that this was a bad idea.

"I'm afraid His Majesty will not see you without any prior appointment." The man said politely.

"But, I'm his…" Sookie paused. What would she say? What is she to him? Friend? Ex-girlfriend? "Never mind then. Can I just leave a message for him?"

"I suppose that wouldn't be a problem. What is your message?"

"Just please tell him to give me a call as soon as he's available." 

"And you are…?"

"Sookie Stackhouse."

"Alright, Miss Stackhouse, I will relay the message to the King."

"Thank you." Sookie turned around and walked away. She found herself disappointed and was surprised by her own reaction. And then she realized that earlier, she was excited that she was going to see him.

'What the hell was I thinking?' Sookie thought to herself. It never crossed her mind that he would be too busy to see her. 'After I walked away from him the other night, why would he want to see me?' She thought bitterly.

"Miss Stackhouse!" Someone called out to her, breaking her musing. She turned around to see a man approaching her.

"The King said that if you don't mind waiting for a while, he would see you as soon as he's done with the meeting."

"How do you… never mind." Sookie realized that Bill must have felt her presence here. "I'll wait for him then." Sookie said. Her heart was suddenly filled with excitement and… happiness? Whatever it was that she was feeling, she didn't want to think about it right now. She followed him inside the house and he led her to the living room.

"Take a seat. The King will see you soon. Can I get you anything?" He asked her politely.

"No, thank you. Sorry for the trouble." Sookie smiled at him.

"Don't worry about it. If you need anything, just let me know."

"Okay. Thanks." Sookie said. The man left. Sookie took her time looking around the room. Bill had done a marvelous job in renovating the room. She didn't know anything about interior design, but she was sure that the renovations were done by professionals and the pieces of furniture in the room were carefully selected.

As she sat there, Sookie got lost in her thoughts. After her talk with Jason yesterday, she had been thinking about finding a way to break the bond, but she didn't even know whether it's possible to break the bond. After much thinking and considering, she decided to come here and talk to Bill. She knew that she couldn't talk to Eric about it. She knew he would not help her. Bill, however, was more reasonable. Sookie hoped that he would at least hear her out and that he would be willing to help her.

"Good evening, Sookie." A cool voice interrupted her thoughts, making her jump.

"Bill! How many times do I have to tell you, do not…" Sookie caught herself and quickly apologized. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean… I just…" She stammered. She looked at him and was speechless for a moment. He's standing at the doorway, looking very fine in his dark blue suit. A blush rose up her cheeks.

"No, I should be the one apologizing. You have told me so many times indeed." Bill said. He stepped into the room, his blue eyes were fixed on her and the corners of his lips were lifted up in a soft smile. He sat down on the chair in front of her and for a moment, they just sat there, looking at each other.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit this evening?" Bill finally asked her, breaking the silence.

"Oh, I have some questions that I hope you can answer."

"I'll do my best to answer your questions." He kept his voice as normal as possible, while all he wanted to do is to pull her into his arms. He missed her so much and since she told him that she still loved him, but then walked away from him, he found it very hard to stay away from her. It took everything in him to not go to her, even if it's just to see her.

"Well, first, I want to know, are you aware of what have been going on between Jason and Jessica?"

"Yes. I don't know about the details, but I understand that there is something going on between them. I'm also aware that Jason has taken Jessica's blood at some point and thus, a blood bond was formed between the two." Bill said.

"Do you know that Jessica and Hoyt had broken up?"

"Yes, Jessica has told me."

"So, you know about the blood bond and that Jessica and Hoyt are no longer together. Do you also know that Jason and Jessica have slept together?" Sookie asked again.

"I figure that would have happened at some point." Although Jess had never told him about this, Bill wasn't surprised by this news. 

"Jason told me that they love each other. He said it after the bond was formed. Do you think that the bond was making them feel… the way they feel toward each other?"

"I am afraid I don't fully understand your question." Bill said.

"Do you think they loved each other only because of the bond? They think that they love each other, but their love might not be real, maybe it's just the bond. Do you think it's possible?" Sookie asked him. For a moment, Bill was quiet. He was wondering what Sookie was really trying to say.

"I suppose that could happen. The blood bond could make a person think that he or she is having a feeling toward the vampire. However, I'm not quite sure about this." He finally said.

"So, if the bond was broken, then things would become… clearer?"

"Sookie, what are you really trying to ask me?" Bill fixed her with an intense gaze. Sookie took a deep breath and looked at him straight in the eyes.

"I want to know if there is a way to break a blood bond." She said boldly.

For a moment, Bill looked slightly confused. But then, it dawned to him. "You want to break our bond." He said flatly. That was a statement, not a question.


	4. Chapter 4

Sookie simply nodded her head. "Yes. I want to break our bond and I am hoping that you can help me." She said. 

Bill didn't respond. He just sat there, unmoving.

"Bill?" Sookie called his name softly after a moment of silence. She looked at him and tried to read his expression, but it's impossible. His face was blank and unreadable. At time like this, Sookie wished that she could read his mind. "Bill, say something…" Sookie said with a slight hint of desperation in her voice.

For his part, Bill couldn't believe that she was asking him this. For the past year, he built a wall around his heart. But after what happened two weeks ago, he finally allowed himself to hope again. And now she wanted to break their bond. He could feel his dead heart breaking into pieces… again. All he wanted is to be left alone, but he forced himself to look at her. "I see that you have made your choice. Honesty, I don't know how to break a blood bond, but I will do my best to help you. If you could give me a few days, I'm sure that I can come up with some information." He said coldly to her. He's breaking apart, but he loved her too much. He would do anything to make her happy, even if it meant letting her go forever. She'd made her choice and he would respect her decision.

He stood up and said, "I'll ask one of the guards to escort you back. I will contact you once I get any information." He paused, took an unnecessary deep breath and said, "I hope you two would be happy together." He started to walk away, but Sookie stood up and placed a hand on his arm to stop him.

"Hold on! What are you talking about? Who's happy?" Sookie asked, her face was filled with confusion.

"You and Eric. Is he not the reason you want to break our bond?"

"Yes, but it's not just about Eric and me. It's about the three of us."

"Precisely. Sookie, I just want you to be happy and if being with him makes you happy, I assure you that I will not stand in your way." He said, his head bowed so that she wouldn't see his real emotions.

"Who said anything about me being with Eric?" Bill's head snapped up at that. When Sookie looked at him, her heart broke. His face was filled with so many emotions, brokenness, desperation, and sadness.

"But, I thought you said that you want to break our bond." Bill was puzzled.

"Bill, I want to break all blood bonds. Not only my bond with you, but also with Eric." Sookie explained.

"But why? Do you not want to be with him?" Bill asked in disbelief.

"I do, but I also want to be with you. I told you that, remember?" Sookie stepped away from him and started pacing. Bill just stood there, his eyes following her movements. "You see, that's the problem here. I want to be with both of you, which is impossible, unless you two are willing to play nice and share." She stopped pacing and looked at him, "Do you want to...?"

Bill gave her his answer even before she finished her question. "No."

"I thought so. That's why I want to break the bonds. I'm tired of becoming the rope in the tug of war game between the two of you. Both of you seem to forget that I'm a person, not just a prize to be won. I'm perfectly capable of making my own decision, but the bond is messing up my mind. With the bond gone, hopefully, I would finally able to sort out my own feelings without any influence from any blood bond." Sookie ended her rant and flopped down on the couch. Bill still stood there, staring at her. After a moment, he seemed to gain his composure. He sat back down beside her.

"You are never a prize for me, Sookie."

"You could've fooled me…" Sookie muttered.

"I'm sorry if I ever gave that impression. But, I can't help it. As much as I want to, I can't fight my nature. After all, you were mine first before you became his."

"You're doing it again, Bill. I'm neither yours nor his. I'm my own person." Sookie sounded a little exasperated.

"I apologize." Bill said with a soft smile. Sookie couldn't help but smiled back.

"So, will you help me?" Sookie asked.

"Yes, I'll help you. However, like I said, I don't know how. Come to think about it, Eric may know something. Have you talked to him?"

Sookie snorted at that. "Are you kidding me? He's gonna throw a fit if he knows that I want to break the bond. No, I don't think he's gonna help me."

"Give him some credits, Sookie."

"I can't believe you just said that." Sookie looked at him incredulously.

"Eric wants you to choose him over me. But yet, you chose neither of us. If he thinks that my bond to you is the cause of it, he would do anything to break that bond."

"And what if, in the end, I choose him?" Sookie paused and lower her gaze. "How about you?" She said in a soft voice. Bill placed a finger under her chin to lift her face up so that she's looking at him.

"I told you, all I want is for you to be happy, Sookie. If being with Eric makes you happy, then be it." Bill said. He meant every word. He would do anything, anything at all, to make her happy and if it meant that he had to let her go, he would. It would break his heart, but he would do it.

"Thank you, Bill. Despite everything that happened between us in the past, I know you are a good man."

"Don't be so quick to judge. I'm not a good man. I lied to you." Bill said harshly.

"Yes, but you did it to protect me. If it wasn't for you, probably I would be locked up somewhere, either by Sophie-Anne or Russell or, God helps me, Eric himself." Sookie shuddered to even think about it. 

"Sookie, you might think that what we had was all lies. But I want you to know that the feelings that you have awaken in me, they are all genuine. You are the love of my life and I will always love you until the day I meet my true death." Bill said softly. His eyes bore into hers, willing her to believe him.

"I know, Bill. And I loved you too." She smiled at him.

He leaned forward until their faces were only inches apart and whispered, "May I?"

Sookie nodded and closed her eyes and felt his cool lips brushed her forehead. After a moment or two, he pulled away. He stood up and offered his hand to her. She took it and he pulled her up.

"Sookie, no matter what might happen in the future, no matter what kind of choice you would make, I truly hope that, at least, we can still be friends." Bill said.

"Of course. I'd like that." Sookie gave him a big smile, which he returned.

Neither of them said it, but both felt like a heavy load was finally lifted up from their shoulders. Right at that moment, Sookie knew that no matter what happen, Bill would always be there for her.


	5. Chapter 5

Sookie had just finished her shower when the doorbell rang and she found Eric standing at the doorway. Despite herself, Sookie smiled at him.

"What were you doing at his place?" Eric asked her without preamble.

"Geez… Nice to see you too, Eric. I'm fine, thank you for asking." Sookie said sarcastically. Her smile disappeared.

"I'll ask again, what were you doing at his place?" Eric said slowly.

"None of your business." Sookie shot back.

"It's my business. You're my business. You're mine. He's the one who has no business with you." Eric's voice held a certain degree of anger.

"I am not yours. Besides, that's your King you're talking about." Sookie pointed it out to him.

"I don't care who he is. You're mine, Sookie. Accept it." Eric said, a smirk grazing his face.

"Whatever." Sookie moved to close the door, but Eric held the door open. "What do you want?" Sookie snapped.

"I want to know what you were doing at his place." Eric took a step inside the house.

"I went there to talk to him." Sookie figured she might as well tell him and hoped that he'd leave her in peace.

"Why would you want to talk to him?" Eric pressed on.

"I don't have to justify my actions to you, Eric. I can talk to whoever I want." Sooke glared at him.

"Not to him, though."

"Why not? Bill is my friend and…" 

"Friend?" Eric let out a bark of laughter. "Have you forgotten about his betrayal? He could deceive you without blinking an eye. You wouldn't want to be his 'friend'." Eric said with undisguised disgust.

"Bill didn't betray me. Yes, he lied to me, but he didn't betray me. Everything that he did, he did it to protect me." Sookie said.

"Really? I doubt that…" Eric sneered.

"Are you done?" Sookie was tired and she really didn't have the enrgy to deal with Eric right now.

"You haven't answered my question. Why would you talk to him?" Apparently, Eric wasn't going to back down easily.

"You're not going to let that go, are you?"

"No. I'm very persistent." Eric smirked at her.

Sookie thought that sooner or later, Eric would find out anyway. She might as well tell him now. "I need to talk to him because he's the King of Louisiana. I thought he would know a way to break a blood bond."

"Why would you want to know about that? You're not thinking about breaking our blood bond, are you?" Eric frowned. His displeasure was pretty clear on his face.

"Actually, I'm going to do just that." Sookie said.

"What?" Eric growled at her, fangs extended. Sookie involuntarily took a step back. Telling Eric definitely wasn't a good idea. But she was determined to do this. Eric took a step toward her, "What is it that he has that makes you choose him instead of me? After everything that he has done to you…" Eric yelled at her.

"And after everything that you have done to me, why should I choose you? Why should I choose any of you? You both lied to me and ever since I got involved with you two, I almost lost my life so many times that I lost count of it. So tell me, Eric, why should I choose any of you?" Sookie shouted back, her voice laced with frustration.

"Because you love me. You know you do, Sookie. Don't tell me that those few days didn't mean anything to you." Eric changed his tactic.

"You weren't yourself. You were under a spell."

"Nevertheless, we have something between us." Eric said stubbornly.

"It's over Eric. These bonds caused nothing but troubles. If you really care for me, even for a slightest bit, you would release me from this." Sookie looked at him pleadingly.

"I do care for you, Sookie. I love you and I know you love me too. That's why I don't want to let you go. I want us to be together."

"Eric, I can't do this anymore. I'm so confused right now. I don't even know what to think or feel."

"That's easy. Just forget about him and let's start over, you and me." Eric tried to persuade her.

"I can't. Eric, please… You have to understand. I don't even know what I really feel anymore. I want to be with both of you and no matter how hard I try, I can't bring myself to choose. At the same time, I can't imagine my life without you, both of you. It's driving me mad!" Sookie sat down heavily on the sofa. Eric just looked at her. Neither moved or said anything.

"Fine." Eric finally said. Sookie looked up at him in surprise. "If you want to break the bond, I'll help you to do it." He continued. Sookie just looked at him in disbelief.

"You will?" Sookie was aware that she was gaping at him, but she was so surprised with his statement that she didn't even care.

"But know this, I'm not giving you up. I'll let you go, for now. But I will make you mine, Sookie. No one, not even my King," Eric said the words with a sneer, "would take you away from me."

"Eric…" The underlying meaning in his words made Sookie nervous.

"Do you want my help or not?" Eric snapped impatiently.

"Yes." Sookie answered quickly before he changed his mind. "But how are we gonna do it?"

"Meet me here tomorrow evening, just after dark. Bring your witch friend."

"Witch friend? You mean, Holly?"

"Yes. To break the blood bond, you'll need a witch to perform a spell. The vampires and the human must be there too. So you might want to let him know." Eric said.

"Of course." Sookie said. "Is there anything else?"

"No, that would be all. Good evening, Sookie." Eric nodded to her and then walked out and disappeared into the night.

Sookie picked up the phone and dialed Bill's cell.

"Bill Compton." He answered at the second ring.

"Bill, it's me. I have good news." Her conversation with Eric still left her a bit unnerved, but Sookie couldn't wait to tell Bill about it.

"You sound so happy. What happened?" Bill asked her.

"Eric was here just now. We talked and he finally agreed to help breaking the bond. Better yet, he knows how to do it." Sookie said excitedly.

"Really? You actually manage to convince him?"

"Yes, but not without some screaming." Sookie smiled widely. She could hear Bill chuckled on the other end.

"So, what does it take to break a blood bond?"

"Apparently, we'll need a witch and the people who are involved in the bond. That means you, me and Eric. He agreed to do it here tomorrow night. So, I'll need you to be here. Can you make it?"

"Yes, I believe so. I have nothing important scheduled for tomorrow."

"Great! I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"I'll be there." Bill said and then they hung up. Bill sat back in his seat and sighed heavily. This was it. They were going to break the bond. His only hope was that they could stay friends afterward. As much as he hated it, it was better than nothing. If he couldn't love her as a lover, he was willing to take whatever it was that she offered him. If friendship was the only thing that she would offer to him, then he was going to grasp it and hold on to it.


	6. Chapter 6

The next evening, Bill arrived at Sookie's doorstep about an hour after dark. She let him in and they walked into the living room.

"I'm sorry I'm late." Bill apologized to her.

"Nope, actually you're the first one to arrive." Bill sat down on the sofa. "Holly will be here soon. I've explained to her about what we're gonna do and she agreed to help. Would you like some TruBlood? I think I still have some in the fridge. I can warm up a bottle for you."

"No, thank you. I've fed." Bill declined politely.

"I see…" Sookie mumbled and sat down in front of him. For a moment, Bill thought he saw a look of disapproval on her face, but it disappeared quickly.

"Sookie, it's not what you think. I did not…" Bill tried to explain.

"No, it's alright, Bill. Whom you feed from is none of my business."

"I did not feed from anyone. I…" This time, his words were cut off by the sound of the doorbell ringing. Sookie jumped up and rushed to open the door.

"My Gosh! It's hot today. Please tell me that you have something cold to drink. I thought I would…" Holly trailed off upon seeing Bill in the living room.

"Good evening." He stood up and nodded to her.

"Ah, good evening." Holly nodded back.

"I have some orange juice. Would you like some?" Sookie offered.

"Alright. I'll take anything cold right now." Holly followed Sookie into the kitchen.

Fifteen minutes later, the doorbell rang again. Sookie opened it to find Eric standing there. He stepped inside without so much as looking at her. Sookie huffed in annoyance, but followed him anyway.

"Your Majesty." Eric bowed slightly at Bill.

"Sheriff." Bill nodded, acknowledging Eric's presence.

"Now that we're all here, can we start?" Sookie asked.

"No, we have to wait for Dr. Ludwig." Eric sat down on the armchair. "It might take a while, so you may as well sit down and relax for a bit." He emphasized his point by stretching his long legs out.

"Why do we have to wait for Dr. Ludwig?" Sookie asked Eric curiously.

"Breaking the blood bond could be… messy. She's just a precaution." Eric said casually. Sookie's eyes widened while Bill's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"What do you mean? Is it dangerous?" Bill looked intently at Eric.

"Not really. It's actually pretty simple, but we need to take precaution. We don't want anything unexpected to happen, do we?" Eric raised his eyebrows.

"Explain." Bill said in commanding tone.

"Gladly, my King. Personally, I have no first-hand experience in breaking a blood bond, but I've heard things concerning this particular ritual. When it's done right, the risk is minimal. However, if it's not done correctly, the human could die."

He paused and glanced at Sookie to see her reaction. "Because of these risks, the ritual of breaking the bond is usually avoided." He finished. There was a silence in the room. After a few moments, the silence was broken by the doorbell.

"That must be Dr. Ludwig. Sookie, would you like to open the door or should I?" Eric smirked.

Sookie went to the door and opened it. She invited the doctor in and led her to the living room. The doctor sat down and Sookie offered her a drink, which she declined. Instead, she got right down to business.

"Northman told me that you want to break a blood bond." Dr. Ludwig said, turning to Sookie.

"Actually, I want to break two blood bonds." Sookie told her.

"Two bonds? You've got yourself into quite a situation, didn't you?"

"I guess so. Now that you're here, can we do it?"

"Wait. Before we proceed, I would like to ask a few questions. What kind of dangers could occur during this process?" Bill asked the dwarf doctor.

"It varies. The process could go smoothly, or it might go horribly wrong."

"Yes, Eric said that the human could die. Just how high is the possibility of such thing happening?" Bill wanted to know.

"It really depends on a lot of things. I can't say exactly how dangerous it is, but I've done this a few times before. The rate of success is pretty high."

"I'm uh… not entirely human. Will it affect the procedure?" Sookie looked at the doctor nervously.

"It might. Let me guess, you're part fairy?" The doctor asked her directly. Sookie's jaw dropped and Bill and Eric looked surprised too. Holly just stared at Sookie.

"How do you…?" Sookie looked at the doctor wide eyed.

"I've been around for a while. I've seen a lot of things. I met with a few of your kind. I would say, you being what you are might just help you during this procedure." She explained.

"Then let's do this." Sookie said.

"Sookie, maybe we should talk about this again. I'm sure there is another solution. This is too dangerous." Bill tried to persuade her.

"No, Bill. I want to do this." Sookie said with conviction.

"But, what if…" Bill tried again.

"No. Listen to me, I know what I'm getting into and I'm ready for it. Let's do this." Sookie was determined to do this no matter what.

"Are you the witch who is going to perform the ceremony?" Dr. Ludwig asked Holly. She nodded. "Do you know how to do this? Have you ever done this before?" The doctor asked again.

"I've never done this before, but I'm sure that I can do this." Holly said. She and Sookie had become fast friends over a short period of time and Holly would happily do this to help her friend.

"Okay, you may proceed. Which one of you would like to go first?" The doctor asked the vampires.

Sookie looked at the two vampires. Bill looked slightly agitated and Eric just looked disinterested. She knew that neither would volunteer to go first. So she said, "Is it possible to do both at the same time?"

"Yes, of course. If that's what you want." Dr. Ludwig said.

"Then let's do both together. How are we going to do this?" Sookie turned to Holly.

"We need to form a circle." Holly said, offering her hands. The two vampires reluctantly took each of her hand and linked their other hands with Sookie's. Once they formed a circle, Holly chanted a spell and their hands began to glow. Slowly, Sookie was engulfed in a golden light as her whole body shook. Bill and Eric looked at her worriedly, but still, they didn't dare to break the contact.

Meanwhile, Sookie felt as if she was being torn in two. It was agonizingly painful. She opened her mouth to scream, but her scream was a silent one. She's vaguely aware of the light around her and two cool hands holding each of her own. After what felt like eternity, Holly stopped the chanting and the pain disappeared, leaving her exhausted. The light ebbed away and as it did… she felt herself fading into nothingness.


	7. Chapter 7

Sookie felt like she was floating, she felt light and relaxed. She tried to move but found she was unable to do so. As her mind crept back to consciousness, she became aware of her surroundings and the concerned and urgent voices around her.

"This is my fault. I shouldn't have let her do it. We shouldn't have let her do this!" Sookie heard, or she thought she heard, Bill's normally calm voice and he sounded frantic.

"Please calm down, your Majesty. You know what she's like. Did you think you could have stopped her?" Another familiar voice chimed in. Sookie thought he sounded relaxed, the complete opposite of Bill's. Oddly enough, her hazy mind wasn't surprised.

"Calm down? I will not calm down! She is out cold and there is not a thing that we can do and you're telling me to _calm down_?" Bill was distraught. He looked at Sookie's still form and he couldn't help but blame himself, and Eric, for her state. He knew he shouldn't have agreed to this. But, it was what she wanted and he couldn't refuse her.

Eric was right; Sookie was probably one of the most stubborn people he knew. He paced back and forth, glancing at Sookie from time to time, and glaring at Eric, who was leaning on the doorway, completely unconcerned. How could he stay calm at time like this, was beyond Bill's comprehension.

Bill knew the instant their bond had been broken. He'd the jolt, then he felt empty. It felt a lot like it did in the past year during her absence. He couldn't feel her, not at all, and that saddened him. The pain was so great, so tangible. However, he was glad that at least, they had succeeded. The blood bonds were broken. Sookie got what she wanted… she was finally free from Eric and him.

Eric opened his mouth to say something, but Dr. Ludwig stopped him. "Shut up both of you! She's starting to come around."

The vampires rushed to Sookie's side. Bill knelt beside her, Eric on her other side, forcing Dr. Ludwig to step back to make room for the Viking.

"Sookie? Sookie, can you hear me?" Bill called out to her gently. He gazed at her pale face and felt guilt engulf him all over again. All he ever wanted was to protect her, instead, he brought danger to her, time and time again. Even if he lived to a thousand years, he would never be able to make amends to her.

Sookie's eyes fluttered open and she saw two anxious faces looking down at her, worry etched on their faces.

"Um… Bill? Eric? Wha'…" She tried to sit up, but both vampires placed their hands on her shoulders, holding her down.

"No, lie down. You need to rest." Eric told her. He was relieved she was awake, but he hadn't been too surprised when she passed out. He knew it would happen. Looking at her pale face, Eric felt a bit guilty for agreeing to this. But, her bond with Bill was now severed and with Bill out of the way, it would be easier for him to convince Sookie to be his.

Eric felt a bit upset. His expectations of the ritual had failed. He agreed to Sookie's idea of breaking their blood bond just to appease her. Since he knew that Sookie would be exhausted from the procedure, he hoped that after breaking her bond with Bill, he would be able to convince her that she was too weak to continue.

He was sure that Bill would've agreed too, once he saw how the process weakened Sookie. Eric had always thought that Bill was too soft and too attached to her. Eric had planned to use that against Bill.

However, Eric had never thought about the possibility of Sookie deciding to break both bonds at the same time, much less Holly being strong enough to break his bond with Sookie, given his age. Now, the blood bond was gone. It upset him more than he thought it would. If he could no longer feel her, how was he supposed to convince her to become his?

"How are you feeling?" Bill asked her, his voice was filled with concern.

"I'm fine." Sookie assured him.

"Get out of my way." Dr. Ludwig said. Eric stood up and stepped aside to make way for the dwarf doctor. "Leave the room, both of you. I need to check her over." She glared at the two vampires. With lingering glances at her, they reluctantly left the room. Dr. Ludwig checked Sookie over and asked her if she's feeling any pain. With the doctor's help, Sookie sat up.

"No, I'm just dizzy, but there's no pain. The blood bonds…" She asked the doctor, but paused as a wave of dizziness hit her. She lay back down.

"The bonds are gone. You are no longer bonded to either of them." Dr. Ludwig answered her unasked question.

Sookie was relieved to hear that. She was finally free. "Will there be any side effects?" She asked worriedly.

"There shouldn't be. But let me know if you're feeling any pain." Dr. Ludwig placed a piece of paper on the bedside table. "You can call me at this number. There's no need to contact the Viking to get a hold of me."

"Thank you, doctor. Do I need to take any medicine?" Sookie attempted to sit up again and was glad to find that the dizziness was mostly gone.

"No. But if you feel any pain, then we'll see about that. You should take it easy for the next couple of days." The doctor put her equipment into her little bag. "If you feel anything out of the ordinary, don't hesitate to call. While there shouldn't be any side effects, we need to be extra cautious.." Dr. Ludwig said seriously.

"Okay. Thanks again. How do I pay you?"

"There's no need. The Viking requested my service, so he's responsible for payment." With that, the doctor left.

When Dr. Ludwig came downstairs, she was greeted by Bill. He immediately asked about Sookie.

"Like I said, we can't be sure when it comes to blood bond. These things could go horribly wrong and what happened just now was just an example. She's lucky that she's a part-fae. Otherwise, I'm not sure she would have survived that." Dr. Ludwig explained. Bill listened to her and he felt guiltier by the moment.

"What went wrong? You said that it was safe enough to break both bonds simultaneously." 

Bill was insistent, he needed to know whether or not Sookie would be okay. If he'd caused her harm in any way, he wouldn't be able to live with himself.

"She should be fine. Honestly, I don't know what caused the reaction. I don't think it was the procedure itself…"

"But she's going to be okay, is she not?" Eric cut her off.

"Yes. I've talked to her and asked her to contact me straight away if she feels anything out of ordinary." Dr. Ludwig looked up at Eric and then at Bill. "There shouldn't be any problem, but we're taking precautions."

Dr. Ludwig had never understood the big fuss over vampires. Normally she couldn't care less about the people that chose to kiss and sleep with vampires. But this girl was quite special. She remembered treating her for those awful scratches about a year ago and even then, she could see that this girl had gained the attention of both Bill and Eric.

She didn't know Bill well, but she could see that the vampire king genuinely cared for the young woman. The Viking also seemed to be captivated with her. In all her years of knowing Northman, she never saw him so charmed by anyone. He never cared for anyone else other than himself. So, this girl was quite special indeed.

"Are there any side effect from this? How will this affect us?" Eric asked. True to form, if this procedure affected him in any way, he wanted to know.

"There shouldn't be. But again, if anything unexpected happens, contact me immediately." The doctor told them. "I expect payment in a few days, Northman." She walked to the front door.

"Thank you, doctor." Bill said to her.

"I will arrange for your payment immediately." Eric said to the doctor's departing figure.

She didn't bother acknowledging either of them.


	8. Chapter 8

"Well, your Majesty, it seems that we're done here." Eric turned toward his King. He needed to get back to Fangtasia and formulate a new plan to make Sookie his. He owned her house, and Sookie's attachment to it gave him a distinct advantage. He knew that she wouldn't move out and seek refuge elsewhere.

"Yes, we are. However, I want to check on Sookie before leaving. I want to make sure that she is doing well." Bill said. He was hoping to get some time alone with her, but apparently, Eric wasn't about to let him.

"In that case, shall we go upstairs and check on her?" Eric gestured toward the staircase. Eric wasn't about to give Bill the benefit of 'getting on her good side', so to speak.

"You don't need to trouble yourself, Eric. I'm fine, thank you." Sookie said, as she came down the stairs. Upon seeing her, Bill quickly stepped forward to offer her his assistance, but Sookie held out her hand, signalling him to stop.

"I'm okay, Bill. I can do this." Sookie told him. Bill stopped and looked at her, grateful that she looked better than she had earlier. She reached the bottom of the stairs and approached them.

"Dr. Ludwig told me that the blood bonds are gone." She looked at their reactions.

Bill looked paler than usual and Eric just looked like… Eric. While Bill's concern was apparent on his face, Eric hid his well. That was, of course if he was really concerned at all. Sookie remembered what Eric had asked her yesterday. He'd wanted to know if those few days had meant anything to her. Looking at him now, she doubted if those few days had meant anything to _him_.

"Sookie, I'm so sorry. If I had known that this would happen, I would not…" Bill tried to apologize to her, but Sookie cut him off.

"Bill, I wanted this. There wasn't anything either of you could have done to stop me. This is what I needed… for me. Please don't beat yourself up over it. In fact, I want to thank you, for agreeing to do this for me in the first place." Sookie smiled softly at him, which he returned. Neither noticed Eric glowering at them.

Regaining his composure before they noticed, Eric set out to remind them they were not there alone. "Sookie, it's getting late. You should get some rest." Eric gave her an insincere smile. Eric didn't like the way Bill and Sookie looked at each other. Sookie was his, with or without the blood bond. He turned to Bill. "Your Majesty, don't you think we should leave so Sookie can get some rest?"

"Eric is right. We should go. Please Sookie, do get some rest." Bill gave her a lingering look before turning around and walked to the front door. He needed to go back to his mansion and mulled over today's events. Eric followed him. They turned to face her as she stood at the front porch.

"Don't forget to lock the door. You never know what's lurking out there." Eric told her.

Bill nodded and added, "Without the blood bond, neither of us will know if you are in danger. Sookie, please be vigilant." Knowing her knack of getting into trouble when it was least expected, Bill doubted that she would stay safe and that worried him.

"I promise I will, thank you, both of you." Sookie said. She watched as they melted into the night.

Sookie closed the door and sighed. It was done. The bonds were gone now. She checked the door to make sure that it's locked and then headed upstairs. She needed a shower and sleep. But she suddenly remembered something.

"Holly, are you still here?" Sookie poked her head into the living room and found it empty. She picked up the phone and dialed Holly's cell. Holly picked it up on the first ring.

"Sookie! Oh my god, are you okay?" Holly sounded worried.

"I'm fine. Where are you?" Sookie asked her. She felt guilty for forgetting about Holly. Her Gran would have scolded her for being so rude and ungrateful. She asked for a friend's help and then she forgot about her.

"Oh, that's a relief! I'm at home. They sent me home after you passed out. I didn't know what to do and that Eric is scary! I remembered what he did to Roy. Oh, Sookie, I'm so sorry! I didn't know what happened. I…" Holly was talking a mile a minute.

"Whoa… slow down. Holly, I'm fine. You're not at fault. I asked you to help me with this. I knew what I was getting into. And you know what, it worked!" Sookie told her, excitement filled her voice.

"Did it? The bonds are gone now?" Holly sounded relieved. At least they'd done it! Holly had tons of questions for Sookie, but they could wait.

"Yeah, they're gone. So, don't worry about anything, okay? Everything's going to be ok." Sookie assured her. "And Holly? I thank you enough. We couldn't have done it without you!" Sookie continued.

"Don't worry about it. I'm glad to be able to help. How are you feeling? You scared the hell out of me. I thought…" She trailed off. "Never mind what I thought. You scared Bill too. When you fainted, he panicked. I thought he was going to pass out too, if a vampire could faint, that is." Holly recalled.

"Was it that bad?" She asked curiously.

"Yes. You were so pale and still. The tiny Doctor tried to help, but you didn't respond. Bill carried you upstairs and Eric sent me home. I don't know what happened after I left." Holly explained. It happened so fast, Holly couldn't really remember exactly all that had happened.

"Did… Was… Was Eric worried?" Sookie asked. She wanted to know if he truly cared for her, if those few days did mean something to him.

"Well, he looked… okay." Holly paused. "I mean, Bill was clearly frantic, but Eric was pretty calm." Holly continued.

"I see. Okay, it's late. I won't disturb you anymore. I'll see you tomorrow at Merlotte's." Sookie said. "Oh, and Holly, please don't tell anyone about this. I don't want anyone else to know." Sookie hastily added.

"Don't worry, Sook. I'm not going to tell anyone." Holly promised.

"Thank you, Holly. I really appreciate it. Good night." Sookie hung up.

Sookie was tired. She just wanted to take a shower and then go to bed. She needed to clear her head before thinking about what she'd achieved tonight. Sookie walked upstairs, took a quick shower, and slipped into bed, hoping to get some sleep.

But alas, her mind was filled with so many thoughts that she's unable to rest. She looked at the clock on the bedside table. It was 1:30 in the morning. She sighed. It looked like she wouldn't be getting any sleep soon. So, she let her mind wander.

Sookie thought about the blood bonds. They were gone now, she was free. But, why did she still feel confused? She supposed it was because even with the bonds broken, it would take some time to clear her head. Like a hangover after a night of drinking, her emotions were going to be fuzzy. Sookie was becoming increasingly aware that the best thing she could do, would be to spend some time alone to sort things out.

She knew she promised Bill that they would still be friends, and she meant it. She just thought that staying away from him for a while would do her good. In fact, she wanted to stay away from all vampires, including Eric.

Thinking about Eric made her heart sink a bit. While her attraction to him was probably caused by the bond, it would be nice to know that he cared for her, even if only as a friend. But considering his reaction and based on what Holly told her, it appeared that he didn't care about her that much.

Did she mean so little to him that even when she was unconscious, her fate in jeopardy, he was calm and acted as if nothing was wrong? Hadn't he worried even for a bit?

Sookie thought about this carefully and she wasn't that surprised with his reactions. She should have known better, Eric was Eric. He didn't really care about anything or anyone else, other than himself, with the possible exception of Godric.

The time they'd spent together when he was under Marnie's spell, he wasn't himself. But, had it been the real him? Sookie sighed heavily. She didn't know and she might never find out.

Then her thoughts shifted to Bill. Despite everything that happened between them, thinking about Bill always brought a smile to her lips. Bill was her first in so many ways, her first boyfriend, her first lover, and her first real love. What she felt for him was not just another casual crush. It was something real. Or was it?

When she found out about his true reason in coming to Bon Temps she'd been crushed. Her whole world had come crumbling down right before her eyes. She'd been so far beyond heartbroken it had become a physical pain. The person that she'd trusted the most had actually been lying to her from the beginning. Her pain turned to rage and she'd willed herself to hate him with every fiber of her being.

But she couldn't. She hadn't been able to bring herself to hate him.

Deep down, she knew that she loved him, in spite of everything. Her feelings for him were so intense and passionate. Even until now, if she's being honest with herself, she knew that her feelings for him had never changed.

But she couldn't be with him. Not yet, it was too complicated. They couldn't go back to where they used to be, and she knew that they could be great friends. But with the blood bond broken, she could be sure of her feelings. If it ever came down to her being with him again… she could be sure that it would be real and meaningful.

With Bill on her mind, she finally fell asleep, a smile on her lips.


	9. Chapter 9

"So, now you are no longer bonded to her?" Jessica asked Bill.

They were sitting in Bill's office, he'd just explained the ritual that he'd been part of that night. It had left him a bit unsettled and he'd needed to talk to someone. There was no one else he trusted more than his progeny and she was the closest person to his heart right now. Besides, it was things such as this that he needed to teach her about, as her maker. So, after he got back from Sookie's house, he summoned Jessica.

"No. We are no longer bonded. She's free now, from both Eric and me." Bill said. That he and Eric were equals in this situation was his only consolation.

"How are you doing? I mean, are you okay?" Jess asked Bill worriedly. Despite the initial awkwardness and misunderstandings between them, Bill and Jessica had grown much closer during the past year. For Jessica, Bill was, in fact, the kindest and best father she'd ever known. Her human father couldn't hold a candle to Bill, she'd learned more about love, respect and compassion in the time she'd been with Bill than she had in the seventeen years with her birth father.

Jessica liked Sookie, she really did. But she had seen how deeply Sookie had hurt Bill. Jessica was there after Sookie's disappearance a year ago. She'd seen how devastated he'd been, no matter how hard he tried to hide it. She'd also seen how much he had changed in the past year, how he'd thrown himself into his work and he had shut out everything else. He refused to open up to anyone and it had made her sad to see him like that. After nearly a year, he finally seemed to be getting better. The pain was still there, but he was beginning to smile again. But then, Sookie came back and ruined everything.

"I'm fine." Bill told her, but Jessica was no fool. She saw it right through him.

"Don't lie to me. You weren't fine when she disappeared a year ago. And just when you're getting better, she suddenly came back from God-knows-where and waltzed back into your life, acting like she'd done nothing, and you were the only one that was wrong." Jessica paused and looked at her maker intently. "I wish she would stop hurting you and leave you alone." She finally said.

"Jessica…" Bill started, but Jessica cut him off.

"No, Bill. Enough is enough, I'm not going to let her hurt you again! If she can't make up her mind, she might as well leave you alone. You deserve someone better than her." Jessica said angrily.

"I hurt her first, Jessica." Bill took an unnecessary deep breath. "I have hurt her so many times." 'And I'll be paying for it for a long time.' He thought.

"Okay, so you lied to her. That was wrong. But, in the end, you did what you did to protect her. Can't she see that?" Jess was getting desperate.

"She was shattered Jessica, distraught, hurting badly…" Bill tried to explain, but Jessica cut him off again.

"Oh and what? You weren't?" She said with a loud voice and heavy sarcasm.

"Don't talk to me like that, young lady. One would think that I never taught you any manners." Bill scolded her.

"Yes, Daddy." Jessica said sarcastically. Bill just rolled his eyes.

"Jessica!" Bill scolded her again, but he was smiling, Jessica grinned at him mischievously. But then his tone grew serious. "What I feel is not relevant."

"Are you kidding me?" Jessica stared at Bill with an expression that said 'Seriously?' "Bill, when you are in a relationship, the feelings of both parties are equally important. Otherwise, it's impossible for the relationship to work." Jessica said with a serious face.

"You have grown so much. Tell me, where did you hear that?" Bill asked her. It's Jessica's turn to roll her eyes.

"I'm serious!" She huffed in annoyance. Bill just grinned at her. Jess stuck her tongue out at him.

"Very mature, my dear… Just when I thought that you have grown up." Bill teased her.

"Bill…!" Jessica whined at him. Bill just chuckled. That brought a smile to Jessica's face.

"Thank you, Jessica. I'm really grateful for everything that you have done for me. I assure you, I will be fine. So, let's not talk about it anymore." Bill told her. They both knew that he was lying, but Jessica was willing to let it go, for now.

"I asked you to come here because I also want to talk about you and Jason." Bill tried to steer the conversation to the other reason why he summoned her.

What Sookie told him a few days ago about Jessica and Jason concerned him. By vampire standard, Jessica was still a baby vampire. She was mainly driven by her impulses. As her maker, it was his job to help her and provide guidance to her, even though he might not be the best person to guide her when it came to relationship problems.

"Are you trying to change the subject?" Jess asked him.

"I noticed that things have changed between you and Jason. How are you two doing?" Bill ignored her question.

"We're fine." Jessica shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly.

"Jessica, after your break up with Hoyt, I just don't think that it's a good idea to start a relationship with Jason Stackhouse." Bill told her.

"Hoyt and I are over. What I have with Jason has nothing to do with it." Jessica frowned.

"You never did tell me the reason you broke up with Hoyt." Bill fixed his eyes on her. Jessica only told him that they'd broken up, but when he inquired further, she refused to tell him anything.

"I gave Jason my blood, to help him." Jessica finally told Bill about how she and Hoyt found Jason that night. "But even before that night, Hoyt and I had already had some problems." Jessica quickly added.

"Tell me honestly, if Jason was not in the picture, would you still be with Hoyt?" Bill asked gently because he truly wanted to keep her talking so openly.

"I don't know… maybe, maybe not. We just sort of… drifted apart." Jessica avoided Bill's gaze. Bill sighed and ran his hand over his face.

"Jessica, you know that out of all people, I'm probably the worst person to talk to you about relationship. But, I don't want you to be hurt. I understand that it's difficult for you to control yourself. But, jumping from one man to another, especially when the two men are friends, is never a good idea. In the end, you are just going to hurt yourself and them too." Bill said softly.

"I know, but what can I do? I just don't love Hoyt anymore. I can't stay with him any longer." Jessica bit her lip.

"I'm not asking you to stay with Hoyt. I just want you to think carefully about this. Do you really want to be with Jason?" Bill asked her.

Jessica seemed to be contemplating this.

"Yes. I never meant to hurt anyone, but this is what I want. I've talked to Jason too and we've decided to give ourselves a chance." Jessica hesitated, but then she continued. "Bill, despite what happened between you and Sookie, I hope that you don't think badly about Jason. He's really a nice guy."

"I know. I could see that he cares about you too. If it was not for him, you would have burnt in the sun that day. He also saved us during our encounter with that witch. I owe him." Bill smiled at her. Jessica gave him a big smile. She's relieved that despite his own problem with Sookie, he didn't forbid her from seeing Jason.

"Thank you, Bill! That means a lot to me." Jessica went around the desk and gave Bill a big hug and a kiss on his cheek."I love you!"

"I love you too, Jessica…" Bill told her with a smile. "Will you stay here today and keep me company?" After everything, he didn't want to be alone just yet and Jessica understood.

"Of course I'll stay here today." Jess agreed.


	10. Chapter 10

It had been more than a month since Sookie broke her blood bonds with Bill and Eric. During these last few weeks, she had been trying to sort out her emotions, and was a little surprised that she still felt so edgy. She had avoided both vampires, working hard to give herself all the time she wanted. Bill called her a couple of days after the ritual, but she was at work, so he'd left a voice mail. He'd inquired about her well-being and hoped she was well. Sookie didn't return his call and he took the hint and hadn't called her since. Other than that, she hadn't heard anything from either of them.

"Sookie, do you have any plans for tonight?" Tara asked Sookie during breakfast.

"Um… no. What do you have in mind?" Sookie asked Tara curiously.

"I gotta do some Christmas shopping, do you want to come with me?"

"Oh crap… already?" Sookie moaned. How had Christmas come so quickly?

"Yup, so what do you think? We can have a girls' night out! Do some Christmas shopping and maybe a little dancing. It's gonna be fun!" Tara told Sookie about her plan excitedly.

"Yes! Absolutely! Let's have some fun!" Sookie readily agreed. After everything that she went through, she felt that she deserved some fun.

"I still need to go to Merlotte's for my lunch shift. We can go after I'm done. What are you gonna do today?" Tara stood and put her dirty dishes into the sink.

"I don't know. Maybe I'll do some cleaning and some errands… hey? I'll be going to the market, anything you need?" Sookie said. She had also finished her breakfast and put her plates into the sink and started running wash water.

"Oh yeah… get some potatoes, I used the last one for the hash browns this morning."

"Sure thing," Sookie smiled.

"Bye, Sook…" Tara waved at Sookie and left. But, a few seconds later, she poked her head back into the kitchen. "Don't forget to wear something sexy, girl! We're going dancing tonight!" Tara laughed and swayed her hips at the doorway to make her point. Sookie laughed and gave Tara a thumb up. Tara left and Sookie started to wash the dishes.

After she was done with the dishes, she then cleaned the house and did a couple loads of laundry. By lunchtime, Sookie had swept and mopped the floor. She made a sandwich for lunch and then she went to the store to do the grocery shopping.

By 4:30, Tara got home from Merlotte's and the girls started to get ready for their evening out. They decided to go for dinner first, and then shopping and finally, dancing. Sookie was looking forward to have a fun evening with Tara. It's been a long time since both of them went out together.

After a delicious dinner at a small Mom & Pop café, they headed to the mall, it was bustling with activity. With Christmas just around the corner, the mall was adorned with beautiful and shining decorations. There were lots of people, mainly families who were shopping for Christmas. Christmas songs could be heard throughout the mall and outside too. The atmosphere was joyful and lively. They couldn't help but feel the mood of celebration.

A huge Christmas tree stood in the center court with bright little lights twinkling on the tree, with sparkling ornaments and gold foil envelopes. Sookie and Tara each walked up to the tree and read the front of a few. Tara picked a ten year old girl's envelope and Sookie picked a seven year old girl. They opened the envelopes and read the wish list of each child.

Every year, Sookie and Tara followed this tradition. Local charitable foundations filled the envelopes with the age, sex, sizes and wish lists of children in need. People then chose them and bought gifts from the lists, they weren't obligated to buy more than a single item. Sookie and Tara always ignored that and bought a couple different things. Various churches, Child Welfare, and other concerned agencies then wrapped the gifts purchased.

Then the sponsors saw to it that each child in need received something they had wanted. As a child, and on more than one occasion, the only gift Tara received at Christmas (aside from those from Sookie and her Gran) had been from those that had chosen her envelope. She never forgot that and from the time she could afford it, she and Sookie picked an envelope every year.

Sookie and Tara walked around the mall to find presents for their 'special little girls', family and friends. Sookie and Tara debated what to get Sam and finally decided to get something later. When they walked past the bookstore, something caught Sookie's eye in the display window. She stopped momentarily.

"What is it? Do you want to go in?" Tara asked curiously.

"No. It's nothing. Let's go." Sookie grabbed Tara's arm and they went into the toy store instead. They'd already picked out some adorable outfits for 'their girls' now it was time for the fun stuff!

When they finished shopping, Tara told Sookie about a new night club. They headed there and when they arrived, they could hear loud music blaring throughout the building. People were dancing all around the dance floor, moving their bodies in time with the music. Sookie and Tara made their way to the bar and ordered some drinks. They found an empty table and sat down to enjoy their drinks and the lively atmosphere. With the steady thump of the music, Sookie wasn't even being overwhelmed by other bar patrons!

"Come on! Let's dance!" Tara raised her voice so that Sookie could hear her.

"What?" Sookie tilted her head to hear Tara better.

"Let's dance!" Tara enunciated her words slowly.

"Oh," Sookie laughed, "Okay!" They put down their now empty glasses and headed toward the dance floor. They started dancing and laughing with the music. The music was so loud that Sookie thought she wouldn't be able to hear anything else. Not even other voices!

Apparently, she was wrong…

'What a hottie! I wonder if she's alone…' Sookie heard someone say in her head.

"Hey there!" Even before Sookie matched the voice to a face, she found a guy in his late twenties standing in front of her.

"Oh, hi!" Sookie greeted him with a smile.

"Let's go to the side! Then we can talk a bit!" The guy yelled at her and made a gesture for them to get off the dance floor. Sookie glanced at Tara and Tara gave her a wink and a thumb up. Sookie grinned at the guy and followed him off the dance floor. They found a table in the corner where the music wasn't so loud back there.

"Hi there! I'm Martin. Can I buy you a drink?" He gave her a big smile.

"Hi Martin! I'm Sookie, and yes, you can buy me a drink." Sookie said with a friendly smile.

"What can I get for you?" Martin asked her.

"Gin and tonic, please…" Sookie answered, a little tickled that someone was asking her that for a change.

"Be right back. Don't go anywhere!" Martin winked and Sookie couldn't help but giggle.

Five minutes later, he placed her gin and tonic on the table in front of her.

"Thanks." Sookie took a sip.

"So, what is a beautiful girl like you doing alone in this place?" He said with a grin.

Sookie groaned at his joke, and his grin turned into a full-blown smile. "Cute. I'm not alone. I'm with a friend. She's…" Sookie glanced at the dance floor and made a sweeping gesture toward the pool of people dancing "… somewhere over there." Sookie finished lamely and then giggled. Martin laughed with her.

"You're pretty. I like your smile." Martin said bluntly.

"Thanks… You're not bad yourself." Sookie tilted her head and looked him in the eye. She knew Martin was flirting with her and she was willing to play the game. A little bit of flirting wouldn't do her any harm. In fact, it could be fun, he was quite good looking.

Martin leaned close to her so he didn't need to yell as loudly, "So tell me Sookie, where are you from?"

"I live in Bon Temps, where do you live?"

"Here in Shreveport, I work at the Home Depot… if ya' ever need new bathroom fixtures maybe I could get ya' a deal!"

Sookie laughed and said, "I'll keep that in mind!"

"Would you like to dance?" Martin said with a hopeful smile.

"A dance sounds fun. Let's go!" Sookie stood up. Martin took her hand and pulled her toward the dance floor, but suddenly stopped in his tracks. Sookie peered over his shoulder to see why and saw a familiar tall figure standing in front of them.

"Hey, get out of my way, dude!" Martin tried to step around Eric, but the Viking blocked him.

"Take your hands off her and leave. Now!" Eric growled at him.

"Who the hell are you?" Martin was getting annoyed. He glared at Eric.

"Eric, please don't do anything." Sookie said in low voice. She knew the vampire heard her, even with the loud music. Sookie also tugged her hand free from Martin's grip. She knew that if this continued, it would end badly.

Martin looked back at her and asked her, "You know him?"

"Of course she knows me. She's mine… dude. So leave her alone or…" Eric leaned forward and let his fangs drop. Martin stared at him in horror before scurrying past the tall Viking and disappearing among the crowd.

"Great! You just ruined my dance! And how many times do I have to tell you, I'm not yours!" Sookie glared at Eric. He snorted.

"Your dance partner was pathetic." Eric sneered.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Sookie asked him heatedly. It was supposed to have been a fun night out, filled with dancing, flirting and drinking. But Eric just had to turn up and ruin it all.

"Business. What are you doing here?" Eric asked her. He hadn't seen her in weeks and now he found her here, out of all places. He was annoyed when he saw her flirting with another guy, a human no less.

"I'm _trying_ to have some fun." Sookie said, putting an emphasis on the word 'trying'. "But someone decided to ruin it. So, why don't you go and mind your own damn business and leave me alone?" Sookie snarled up at him, then turned around and started to walk away from him.

"Not so fast. I don't like you being here." Eric grabbed her arm to stop her.

"Where I am is none of your business, Eric." Sookie tried to pull her arm back but she knew better. She tried to anyway, just to make her point.

"I haven't seen you in a while. Don't you miss me?" Eric smirked at her.

"No." Sookie was still trying to get free from his vice grip. "Let me go, Eric." She glared at him full force. Eric laughed and let her go. Sookie immediately backed away from him.

"I'm here to have some fun. So, please, leave me alone." Sookie tried to walk away.

"These people are pathetic. You won't be able to have any fun here. But don't worry, if you want to have fun, we can have fun together, you and me." Eric raised his eyebrows suggestively at her.

"Eric, will you just leave me alone!" Sookie tried to push past him. This time, Eric let her pass.

"By the way, have you heard the news?" Eric said. Against her better judgment, Sookie paused and looked back at him.

"What news?" Sookie couldn't help but feel curious.

"Oh, it's not a big deal. But apparently, my King has found himself a new girlfriend." Eric shrugged his shoulders.

"What are you talking about?" Sookie wasn't able to hide her surprise.

"Just like I said, your precious Bill has found himself a replacement." Eric said casually, like he was commenting about the weather.

"I… I don't understand." Sookie swallowed hard. Her heart beat faster in her chest. What was he talking about? What did he mean by 'replacement'?

Eric was upset by her reactions. Apparently, she still cared more about Bill than he wanted her to, so he taunted her further, "He's found a new girl. A new… plaything, if you will. I'm surprised you haven't heard about her in that awful little hamlet you live in. Can't you see it, Sookie? He doesn't care about you. At least not as much as you think he does."

"You're lying." Sookie refused to believe him.

"Why would I lie to you? He was the one who lied to you in the first place. Or have you forgotten about that? If you don't believe me, I can tell you some more. Her name is Rachel. She's quite pretty if you ask me. They met two weeks ago. You know how he is like; he made his moves pretty quickly." Eric told her.

"Eric, you forget, you've told more lies than Bill ever did. Just… Oh! Just leave me alone!" Sookie turned around and stomped away from Eric as fast as she could. She didn't look back to see Eric standing there with a satisfied smirk on his face. Which was just as well, her good time was over and she knew it. She started looking for Tara; she was ready to go home.


	11. Chapter 11

As she threaded through the bodies gyrating around the dance floor, Sookie's heart thumped wildly and her chest felt so constricted she could hardly breathe. Eric was lying! Bill wouldn't do that to her, he loved her! He'd told her so many times and she believed him. Sookie refused to believe a word that came out from Eric's mouth, but she couldn't help but old insecurities assaulted her thoughts. The music pulsing all around her only added to her frustration as she tried to locate Tara. When she finally found Tara, Sookie dragged her out of the club.

"What the hell, Sook?" Tara protested loudly as they reached the parking lot. Sookie looked around frantically, trying to remember where they parked. When she spotted her yellow car, she dragged Tara toward the car.

"We are leaving!" Sookie left Tara standing beside the passenger car and went around to the driver's side.

"What happened? I thought we're having fun?" Tara still tried to make sense of what's going on. In the background, they could still hear the music blaring from inside the building.

"Just get into the damn car, Tara!" Sookie yelled at her. A very confused Tara got into the car without further protest. Sookie started the car and drove away from the club as fast as she could.

"Slow down, Sook!" Tara tried to get through Sookie's agitation but Sookie didn't seem to listen to her. "Sookie, stop! JUST stop!" Tara shrieked. Sookie finally slowed down and pulled over. Tara turned to her and exclaimed, "Have you lost your ever-loving mind? Are you trying to kill us?"

Tara's yelling seemed to snap Sookie back. Sookie turned to Tara and found her friend glaring at her.

"I'm… I'm sorry. It's just…" Sookie tried to explain, but found herself unable to do so. Her mind was filled with so many thoughts. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. She told herself to calm down. This was exactly what Eric wanted. He wanted her to lose control and Sookie was determined not to. She was failing miserably.

"Eric was there." Sookie said quietly. Tara's eyes widened in shock.

"What's that son of a bitch doing there? Is he stalking you now?" Tara yanked the rearview mirror to check if there was anyone coming up behind them.

"No, Tara. He's not stalking me…" Sookie paused. "At least I hope he's not." She finished weakly.

"But he was there? What did he want?" Tara looked at Sookie questioningly her annoyance with her friend's erratic behavior was turning to concern.

Sookie stayed silent. She couldn't tell Tara about what Eric told her. Her thoughts were so scattered the first words she spoke made no sense at all.

"He scared the hell out of Martin." Sookie blurted out.

"Who's Martin?" Tara asked with puzzled look on her face.

"The guy who bought me a drink earlier." Sookie explained.

"Oh… And?" Tara prompted.

"What?" It's Sookie's turn to look at Tara blankly.

"What else did he do? You wouldn't be this upset if all he did was scaring some random guy." Tara stated. Sookie stared at her in surprise. "Don't give me that look. I know you better than that, Sook. What else did he do?" Tara pushed, not about to back off.

Sookie sighed. "It's not exactly what he did. It's more about what he said." Sookie said slowly, hoping that Tara would leave it at that.

"Well? What did he say then?" Tara pressed on.

Sookie knew from the tone of Tara's voice this conversation was far from over. Sookie peered unseeing into the darkness. Tara sat there, waiting patiently. She knew that if that vampire made Sookie this upset, then it must be something important.

"He said something about Bill." Sookie mumbled. She kept staring ahead of her, refusing to look at Tara.

"Bill? What does Bill have to do with this? I thought it's over between you two." Tara was getting seriously confused.

"It is. It's just… I think… I think I still love him, Tara." Sookie turned her face to look at her best friend. Tara was stunned.

"Wait… I don't understand. You still love Bill, but you went with Eric?" Tara finally asked after a moment of silence.

"I was so angry with Bill. He lied to me." Sookie's reasoned.

"So, you decided to take revenge on him by hooking up with Eric?" Tara said directly.

"No! I didn't mean to. It was the blood bond." Sookie tried to explain. Tara sighed heavily.

"C'mon Sook, tell the truth, do you love Eric or not?" Tara suddenly asked. Sookie was speechless for a moment.

Did she love Eric? That was a question that she's been asking herself. Her feelings toward Eric were so complicated. She knew she was attracted to him, but was it love? Or just physical? Whenever Sookie thought about him, she felt conflicted. On one hand, she was angry and so damn tired of Eric's constant lies and manipulation, but on the other hand, the time they'd spent together during those few days… Granted, she was heartbroken and fragile and he was under a spell, but was it real? Sookie bit her lip. That was the problem; she just didn't know what, if anything was real or not.

"I… I don't know. It's complicated, Tara." Sookie finally said, dropping her gaze.

"No, it's not. It's only as complicated as you make it. Sookie, I care about you. You know I do, girl. But this has to stop. Eric tricked you so many times, and yet, you still forgive him. I don't know what what lies Bill told you, but…" Tara stopped herself. "I never thought that I would say this, but Bill loves you. That vamp walked under the sun in the broad daylight to save you! If that's not love, I don't know what that is." Tara paused to take a breath. "I'm not trying to justify his actions. If he lied to you, then you have every right to be angry with him. But if you could forgive Eric for his lies over and over again, why can't you forgive Bill?" Tara looked at Sookie. Sookie looked back at her with awe.

"What?" Tara asked.

"Nothing… I just never thought that you'd say that, ever. I thought you hated Bill!" Sookie couldn't believe what Tara had just said.

"I don't hate him particularly. I hate them in general." Tara muttered. "Anyway, it's not about me. It's about you and your 'complicated' love life." Tara put an emphasis on the word 'complicated'. Despite herself, Sookie giggled, Tara joined her and they laughed themselves to tears.

"So, what did he say?" Tara asked Sookie once they sobered up.

"What? Wait. Who?" Sookie asked confusedly.

"Eric. You said he said something about Bill. What did he say?" Tara asked her seriously.

Sookie's smile disappeared. She took a deep breath before answering.

"He told me that Bill has a new girlfriend." Now that the words came out from her mouth, it felt real. "He said that Bill doesn't care about me." Even if she said it, she still refused to believe it.

"And you believed him?" Tara asked her incredulously.

"He knows about her, Tara. He knows her name. He's not bluffing. He wouldn't just pick up any random name, right? Besides, he even knows when they met. I don't want to believe him, I really don't. But if he knew that much about her, then it must be true." Sookie said bitterly.

Tara was getting a headache. "Okay, Eric lied to you about a lot of things, right? He could be lying to you about this too! Why don't you ask Bill? Then you'll know for sure." Tara suggested gently.

"No! I can't… I can't ask him." Sookie sounded alarmed.

"Why not? I thought you said you loved him?" Tara was bewildered.

"It's…" Sookie started, but Tara finished for her.

"Complicated, I know. But how long are you going to do this, Sook? You can't keep doing this forever." Tara got infuriated.

"I know. I just need time, Tara. I'll figure it out. Now, can we please stop talking about this? It's getting very late. We need to go home." Sookie said tiredly.

"Okay, but I'm just saying, Sook. If I learned anything in the past year, it's that we shouldn't take anything for granted. We never know how much time we have. We have to treasure every moment that we have with those whom we loved the most… before it's too late and they're being taken away from us." Tara said solemnly.

Sookie looked at her and patted her hand comfortingly. She knew who Tara was thinking about when she said that. Sookie started the engine and drove back to Bon Temps. Sookie was determined to end her emotional turmoil soon. Tara was right; she couldn't stay like this much longer.


	12. Chapter 12

Sookie skillfully made her way to table five, carrying a tray filled with a several glasses of beer. The occupants of the table cheered as their beer arrived.

"Is there anything else that I can get you?" Sookie asked her customers with a smile on her face.

"No, Sookie. We've got all we need. We'll let you know if we need anything else." One of the guys answered her.

"Okay. Just holler if you need me." Sookie looked around to check if any of her other tables needed her. When she saw that everyone had their food and drinks, she headed to the bar. She put the tray on top of the bar and sighed tiredly. She's been running around the bar delivering foods and drinks for a few hours now. As Christmas got closer, most of the people were having holiday fun by passing time at Merlotte's instead of staying at home with their families. They decided to come and spend their year-end bonuses on burgers and beers. At least some of them came in with their families after shopping or school Holiday Pageants and such.

"Man! It's packed tonight." Tara observed while filling up yet another pitcher of beer.

"Yup, looks the whole town's here tonight." Sookie wiped the tray with a rag. Sookie looked at Sam. It looked like his hands were moving constantly, mixing drinks and pouring them into glasses. In the kitchen, Lafayette and Terry were working like cooking machines. Orders were flowing in, one after another. Sookie glanced around the bar and saw Arlene balancing a heavy looking tray while making her way from one table to another.

"Where's the new girl?" Sookie asked Tara curiously.

"She had a lunch shift today. Sam doesn't want to overwhelm her by putting her in dinner shift." Tara said.

"Sook, can you get some lemons from the back?" Sam asked Sookie. He momentarily glanced up at her while pouring drinks into a few glasses at once.

"Sure thing, Sam!" Sookie disappeared into the walk-in cooler off the kitchen. A few minutes later, Sookie stepped back into the bar carrying a container of freshly cut lemons. She put them inside the cooler behind Sam, and he thanked her with a smile.

"Order for table six!" Lafayette yelled through the kitchen window. Sookie hurriedly went to retrieve her order and deliver it to the waiting customers. After she chatted a bit with the customers, Sookie signaled to Sam that she needed a bathroom break. Sookie put her tray down on top of the counter and went into the restroom.

After using the facility, Sookie washed her hands in the sink. She peered into the mirror and groaned inwardly as she saw eye bags hanging under her eyes. The busy night was starting to take its toll on her. She didn't get a very good night's sleep last night, thanks to Eric. She had stayed up all night, thinking about what he told her. Sookie still refused to believe him and she finally managed to convince herself that Eric was lying to her. Tara was right, Eric lied to her about many other things, and surely he must be lying about this too. After much debate, she decided she was not gonna let him get to her. With that resolution in her mind, Sookie finally fell asleep as the sun began to rise.

Sookie splashed some water onto her face to freshen up. She then fixed her messy ponytail and took one last look at the mirror. Satisfied that she wasn't gonna scare the customers away, Sookie exited the bathroom and retrieved her tray from the countertop.

"Wait, I got the beer for table seven right here." Tara told her. Tara put the pitcher onto the tray and commented, "With the amount of beer they're drinking, these people better have someone sober to drive…" Tara stopped talking and looked past Sookie at the entrance, her eyes widened.

"What?" Sookie asked and before Tara could say anything else, Sookie turned around and froze when she saw the newcomers who just entered the bar.

Bill walked through the door, talking to a girl who was obviously with him. They seemed to be in a serious conversation. Sookie watched as the pair made their way to an empty booth at the back of the bar, near the window. Bill didn't even seem to notice her as he listened intently to the girl. Sookie kept watching them as Arlene made her way to them to take their orders. Suddenly, Bill looked at her direction and Sookie immediately turned around to avoid catching his eyes.

"Sook, are you ok?" Tara asked her friend worriedly.

Sookie was silent as she just stood there. After a while, Sookie turned around slowly and saw Bill had turned his attention back to the girl sitting in front of him. From her vantage point, Sookie had a good look at Rachel. Eric was right, she was pretty. Her long auburn hair flowed freely along her back. She laughed at something that Bill said and Sookie's grip on the tray tightened. Sookie's irrational jealousy surged through her.

"Who's that with Bill? I have never seen her around here before." Arlene asked as she casually leaned over the counter.

"Her name's Rachel. She's his new girlfriend." Sookie said through gritted teeth. Her jealousy quickly turned into anger as she saw Bill smiling at whatever Rachel had just said. Arlene looked at Sookie with surprise and Tara opened her mouth to say something.

"Order for table six!" Terry's voice rang out from the kitchen, stopping whatever it was that Tara was about to say.

"That's mine." Sookie hurriedly got her order and walked it to the proper table. She avoided looking at Bill and Rachel's table. She was determined to not acknowledge them. But apparently, they had gained the other patrons' attentions, especially the men.

'Wow! She's a sight to behold. Too bad she's a fangbanger.' Sookie heard one of the patrons said in her head.

'If she's wasn't with that vamp, I would ask her out.' Another one thought.

'I've never seen her around. I wonder if she's vampire Bill's girlfriend.' Yet another thought slammed through Sookie's head.

Sookie tried to block the thoughts, but in her anger, it was almost impossible. Sookie quickly walked toward the back of the bar. She leaned on the wall and closed her eyes as she contemplated the situation.

Sookie couldn't believe that Bill would do this to her. When he told her that he loved her and that she was the love of his life, she had believed him! Had he lied to her? Sookie banged her head onto the wall in frustration.

"Sook, are you alright?" Tara called out. Sookie opened her eyes and turned to see Tara approaching.

"Yes, no… I don't know. The one time I'd hoped that Eric was lying to me." Sookie said bitterly. Tara looked at Sookie with sympathy in her eyes. All of Sookie's resolutions last night went out of the window as she saw them with her own eyes.

"Do you want to go home? I can tell Sam. I can cover up for you." Tara offered.

Sookie was tempted, but she knew that Sam would flip out if she left while the place was so busy! Besides, going home wouldn't make her feel any better. In fact, being alone in the empty house would just frustrate her further.

"No, I'll be fine. I just need a minute here. Thanks, Tara." Sookie gave Tara a weak smile.

Tara looked at her doubtfully, then said, "Sook, maybe you should talk to him. Maybe it's not what you think. Maybe they're just friends…"

"It's none of my business, Tara. Bill and I are over. He can date whoever he wants. I have…" Her breath hitched as her tears started flowing down her cheeks, "I have no right to be angry." Sookie finished sadly and wiped her tears with the back of her hand. Tara reached out to hug her and Sookie hugged her back. After a while, Sookie pulled back.

"Let's get back. Sam will get ticked if we stay here for too long." Sookie said with determination. Tara just nodded and they made their way back into the bar. They got back to work, and as the crowd thinned, Sookie noticed Bill and Rachel had left and Sookie breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hey, you okay?" Sam gently asked Sookie. Apparently, Sam wasn't so oblivious.

"Yes, Sam. I'm fine." Sookie said with a fake smile that Sam saw through. "I've told Arlene and Terry to head home too." Sam suggested to her carefully. Sam didn't want Sookie to think he was giving her special treatment. He knew Sookie well enough to know that would really make her mad!

"Alright, I'll see you around then." Sookie went to get her purse and after saying goodbye to everyone, she drove home. Sookie let herself in and locked the house for the night. In her room she dropped her clothes into the hamper and slipped on a nightie. She crawled into her bed and it took her a long time to fall asleep.


	13. Chapter 13

Ring… Ring… Ring…

Sookie groaned and reached out to grab her cell phone from the bedside table.

"… 'lo" She answered groggily. Her eyes glanced at the clock; crap…12:30 in the afternoon.

"Hi, Sook. It's me." Sookie could hear Jason's voice on the other end of the line.

"Hey, Jason… What's up?" Sookie rolled onto her back.

"I was just wondering if ya' want me to come over later and we can have dinner together." Jason asked hopefully. Sookie thought Jason sounded nervous, but she thought it was just her imagination.

"Yeah, sure… am I to assume I'm doing the cooking?"

"Oh would ya'? That'd be great!"

'Only Jason', Sookie thought, "What time?" Sookie asked him. Her mind still hazy with sleep.

"How about eight o'clock or so? Will that be ok?" Jason wanted to know.

"Yeah, eight is good. I'll see you then." A thought crossed her mind about eating so late but it flitted out as quickly as it had flitted in.

"Alright, I'll be there 'round then. See ya, Sook…" Jason hung up.

Sookie pressed the 'End' button on her phone and yawned. She stretched her limbs lazily and then snuggled back into her still-warm pillow. She didn't get a good night's sleep by a long shot. Whenever she closed her eyes, all she could see was Bill and Rachel sitting together at Merlotte's, talking and laughing. She had wanted to confront him, demanded an explanation. But her pride held her back. Besides, her common sense spoke up to remind her making a scene at Merlotte's wasn't a good thing.

"Damn it!" Sookie buried her face into her pillow and thumped the pillow with her fist. She was so angry with herself. What was wrong with her? It was over between them, she was the one who ended things with him! So, why had it hurt so badly when she saw him with another woman last night?

Sookie couldn't think about any longer so she decided to get up and get ready for the day. When she got downstairs, Tara was nowhere to be found. When Sookie entered the kitchen, she spotted a note lying on the kitchen counter from Tara, telling Sookie that she'd be staying overnight at Lafayette's and she would be back tomorrow.

Sookie ate a hearty portion of omelet for lunch. A quick look at the clock told her that she still had several hours before Jason would be there. She needed to go to the store and do some grocery shopping. It'd been a while since she'd made Jason Gran's prize-winning recipe for fried chicken. Maybe she'd make a pecan pie too.

Sookie was making a shopping list when she suddenly remembered what she'd seen in the bookshop the other day. It was Special Edition DVD set of a highly-acclaimed Civil War documentary series. When Sookie had seen it, she immediately thought of Bill. She wanted to give it to him as a Christmas present. After all, she did promise him that they would still be friends. But that was before she found out about Rachel.

Sookie bit her lip and debated with herself whether she should buy him a Christmas present. She wasn't just angry with herself but with him as well. If he really loved her, like he said he did, then why had he gone out with another woman? But then again, she made it clear they would remain friends.

'Yes, we're friends. It's just a token of friendship.' Sookie told herself. After she finished her lunch, Sookie grabbed her keys and drove to the mall. She went straight to the bookstore and bought the set. They even gift wrapped it for her. A few minutes later, she left the mall with the package in hand. Sookie then drove to the store to do her grocery shopping.

When Sookie finished shopping, she headed back home. But, driving during the holiday season was proving to be troublesome. She'd gotten stuck behind and accident earlier and now, they'd closed the road that led to her house! Sookie saw Hoyt directing the other cars to turn off onto a road two roads before hers.

When she got close enough, she hung out the window and called out to him, "Hey! Hoyt!" When he turned to look at her she was shocked to see how terrible he looked. He'd lost weight and had dark circles etched under his eyes.

"Hey Sook, sorry but a limb come down and it's hung up in the wires so I gotta send ya the long way 'round."

"It's okay Hoyt…" she started to ask how he was doing but the car behind hers starting blowing the horn so she gave him a sad smile and waved good-bye. She'd been so wrapped up in her issues, she'd had no idea how ripped up Hoyt was over losing Jessica.

By the time she reached home, it was already quarter to six. Sookie put the bag from the bookstore on the coffee table and headed toward the kitchen to start cooking. It wasn't unheard of for Jason to show up early and once he knew she was making Gran's chicken he'd be thrilled.

She was in the last stages of finishing dinner when she heard his truck roar around the house. She rushed to greet him as he came through the back porch.

"Jason, you're…" Sookie trailed off when she saw that Jason wasn't alone. Jessica was standing beside him on the porch.

"Hi Sook." Jason greeted her. Sookie glanced down and noticed their intertwined fingers.

"Hello, Jessica..." Sookie nodded tersely at the young vampire.

"Good evening, Sookie." Jessica nodded stiffly. The two women regarded each other carefully. They seemed to forget that Jason was there.

"Whoa! Is that fried chicken I smell? "Jason asked, trying to regain their attention and ease the tension. Sookie stood silent as Jason tugged at Jessica's hand and led her into the house.

"I didn't know that you're going to bring Jessica along. I'm sorry I don't have any TruBlood." Sookie said as they walked into the dining room.

"Don't trouble yourself. I've fed." Jessica said curtly. Jessica sat down on one of the chairs and folded her hands on the table in front of her.

"Alright then. Suit yourself." Sookie said and disappeared into the kitchen.

"Jess…" Jason sat down beside Jessica and took a hold of her hands. "She's my sister, can't you at least try to be nice? Please?" Jason gave her the sweetest smile that he could muster. Jessica looked at Jason and sighed.

"Okay… I'll try, but no promises." Jessica said with a shrug.

"Thank you." Jason leaned forward and gave her a peck on her cheek. Jessica couldn't help but smiled at his sweet gesture. Jason leaned forward again to kiss her properly.

"Do you guys want to be left alone?" Sookie asked from behind them. Jason and Jessica jumped apart from each other. Jason looked at Sookie and grinned sheepishly.

Sookie put the plates on the table and sat down opposite Jason. They started eating in total silence. Sookie and Jessica avoided looking at each other and the atmosphere around the table was so tense it seemed to shimmer. Sookie ate looking down at her plate and Jessica sat there stiffly, staring at the wall.

"So, sis, have you bought your Christmas presents yet?" Jason asked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Yes." Sookie answered briskly and then they lapsed back into silence. Jason shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He tried to engage the two women in more conversation, but they only answered him with short sentences or one word answers. Finally, he gave up and concentrated on his food.

After they finished their dinner, Jason offered to help Sookie do the dishes. Sookie declined his offer, but he followed her into the kitchen anyway. Jason asked Jessica to wait for him in the living room, telling her to 'make herself at home', earning himself an eye roll from his sister. Once they're alone in the kitchen, Jason turned to Sookie and opened his mouth to say something. But Sookie beat him to it.

"Why did you bring her here?" Sookie asked him crossly.

"She's my girlfriend." Jason said matter-of-factly. Sookie glared at him and Jason glared right back at her. "What do you have against her?" Jason asked her, his own voice turning rock hard.

"She's… She's his… his damn child." Sookie said lamely. Jason's tone had given her a bit of a shock and deflated her indignation quickly. Jason looked at her in disbelief.

"Really? That's all ya' got? You gotta give me a better reason than that." Jason paused and stared intently at her, then sighed and relaxed some. "Look, I know that you and Bill are not on the best of terms, but leave us out of it Sook." Jess and I don't have nothin' to do with this." Jason said.

"Jason, vampires are not like us. They often turn on those who trust them. They don't have human values like we do. I just don't want you to be hurt." Sookie said. She swallowed hard as she realized that she just repeated the exact same words that Bill said to her the first night they met. She had ignored his words and now she was trying to live with the consequences. Upon seeing her woeful expression, Jason's features softened. He placed his hands on her shoulders and gave her a gentle smile.

"I thank you for your concern, Sook. What I feel toward Jessica… well, it's probably caused partly by the blood bond, but I've never felt like this about anyone else before. I don't know how it will end, but we want to give ourselves a try Sook. You're the only family I've got left. I just hope that you'll understand." Jason's voice was soft now.

Sookie closed her eyes, lost in thought. Jason was right. Just because she was having problems with Bill, she shouldn't take it out on Jason and Jessica.

"I'm sorry. You're right. You guys have nothing to do with this. I don't want to ruin your chance at happiness. If you really love her, then go for it." Sookie finally said. Jason's face lit up upon hearing her words.

"Thanks, sis! That means a lot to me." Jason gave her a bear hug. Despite her misgivings, Sookie smiled. To be honest, Sookie had never seen Jason like this, he seemed to be glowing with happiness. Sookie was glad that maybe after all these years her brother could finally find his happiness. She just hoped that it would last a long time.

"Just take care of yourself, okay? Always remember that she's a vampire, don't let her hurt you." Sookie patted Jason's back.

"What makes you think that I'd be the one hurting him? Just because I'm the vampire in this relationship, that doesn't mean that I'm gonna hurt him, you know." Jessica said coldly from the doorway. Sookie and Jason pulled away from each other and looked at Jessica; her face was a mask of indignation.

"Jess, c'mon…" Jason went to her and took her arm, trying to steer her out of the kitchen… which was quite ineffective. Jessica was having none of it. She easily pulled her arm away from Jason's grasp and stepped further into the kitchen.

"Ironic isn't it? It's our kind, whose hearts are no longer beating, but so often, humans are the heartless ones. Isn't that right Sookie?" Jessica's eyes were fixated solely on Sookie.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Sookie stared back at Jessica squarely.

"Look at yourself, Sookie. The way you treat those who loved you… and you have the nerve to warn Jason to be careful of me just because I'm a vampire?" Jessica approached Sookie, her fangs slowly descending. Sookie involuntarily took a step back. Jessica might be Jason's girlfriend but she was still a dangerous young vampire.

"Jessica, please don't hurt her." Jason placed himself between Jessica and Sookie. He held up his hands, trying to calm Jess down.

"Don't worry. I'm not gonna hurt her, Jason." Jessica paused for a moment before continuing, "Believe me, I want to. But, Bill doesn't want me to hurt her, and I cannot disobey my maker. Jessica said her voice both petulant and yet venomously icy.

"C'mon, let's just go." Jason stepped forward and reached for her, but Jessica zipped away from his reach to stand before Sookie in the blink of an eye.

"I'm not done yet." Jessica looked at Sookie. "I've really got to know, are you happy now? This is what you want, isn't it? For him to suffer? Do you hate him so much, that breaking his heart wasn't bad enough, you hooked up with Eric in order to shatter it completely?" Jessica snapped.

"What happened between Bill and I is none of your business!" Sookie shot back. Sookie felt all the frustration and anger rise up inside her. "People that live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones Jessica. What about you? You dumped Hoyt, didn't you? You sure as hell didn't give him any consideration when you decided to start sleeping with Jason!" " Sookie shouted at Jessica.

The wildly charged atmosphere had Jason taking in a sharp gulp of air at his sister's words. He sure hadn't expected Sookie to bring that up! Jessica was glaring at Sookie with fiery eyes. It was clear that the hot tempered, red-haired vampire was furious.

"Sookie, that's…" Jason turned to his sister, but Jessica cut him off.

"How dare you!" Jessica growled as she stepped closer to Sookie.

Sookie realized that she had just made what could turn out to be a fatal mistake. She shouldn't have said it, and probably wouldn't have if she hadn't seen Hoyt today. Still, it was unfair and irrelevant, but she was so angry right now that she didn't even care.

"Did Bill ever tell you what he did to me? How he lied to me! How he carefully orchestrated every aspect of our meeting, of our 'love story'…" Sookie made a quotation marks in the air with her fingers, "…they were all lies Jessica!" Sookie screamed in frustration. Jason stared at Sookie shaken and stunned by her words, but before he could ask anything, Jessica was off again.

"Yes, he told me everything! So he lied to you, that's his bad. But guess what Sookie, he did it to protect you! If he hadn't protected you, you would probably be dead right now! And after everything he's done for you, this is how you repay him?

I wish you'd never come back from… wherever the hell you were! He was getting better, but then you came back and ruined everything!" Jessica was dangerously close to losing control. Jason swallowed hard. If Jessica decided to attack Sookie, Jason knew that short of staking Jessica, he was powerless to stop her.

"He manipulated me from the start, and continued doing it the entire time we were together!" Sookie said stubbornly. But deep in her heart, Sookie knew that Jessica was right. Sookie knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that if it wasn't for Bill, she would probably be dead and gone. But she would never to admit it to Jessica.

"So you decided to seek revenge by hurting him more than he hurt you? Is this some sort of a game for you?" Jessica asked Sookie incredulously.

"No! I was… I was heartbroken." Sookie's voice started trembling. "And he… he didn't look as if he cared at all." Sookie was trying hard to keep her voice steady, but she was failing miserably. It hurt to think that Bill didn't care about her. It also reminded her of what she saw yesterday, and her eyes started to fill with tears.

"Are you kidding me? How could you say that he doesn't care about you? He cares so much about you it almost destroyed him! You must be blind not to see that! I hate it that he cares about you that much! Because you don't deserve it!" Jessica screamed in Sookie's face. 

Then Jason placed his hand gently on Jessica's arm and said softly, "She's all the family I got, Jess. Please… for me?" Jessica took a step back and ran her hand over her face in an effort to regain control of herself. Once she did, she retracted her fangs.

"I was there, Sookie." Jessica started, her voice was gentler now. "After you disappeared a year ago, I saw how inconsolable and heartbroken he was and he still is! I tried my best to help him, but he shut me out. He shut everyone out. It didn't take a genius to see the pain that he was… and still is in! He has never forgiven himself for hurting you. Sookie, he never meant to hurt you! Why would he?" Jessica said. Sookie just bit her lip, trying to keep her tears at bay.

"I was hurting too…" Sookie said with shaking voice. A lone tear made its way down her cheek. Sookie angrily wiped it away. She hated that fact that she was losing control over her emotions.

Jason watched the two women and sighed sadly. He hated being caught in this. He felt so helpless. He just wasn't good at this emotion stuff. So, he just stood there awkwardly, but silently relieved that it didn't look like Jess would kill Sookie at least.

"Sookie, both of you are hurting. But haven't you both suffered enough? Please Sookie, if you care about him, please don't hurt him anymore. You've got Eric now, so please don't make this any harder for him… for all of us." Jessica looked at Sookie pleadingly.

Sookie looked at Jessica with a startled look on her face.

"Wait… What? Jess, you've got it all wrong. I don't 'have' Eric. I ran into Eric a couple of nights ago and that's the first time I'd seen him since the night we broke the bonds! Why would you even think that?"

"But, I thought you broke your blood bond with Bill so that you could be with Eric…" Jessica looked confused now.

"What? No! I broke the bonds with Bill and Eric. Didn't Bill tell you that? I was so confused because of the blood bonds. The only way to sort out my true feelings was to break the bonds." Sookie explained.

"He did tell me about the breaking of the bonds, but I thought you did it because you want to start over with Eric." Jessica said.

"Jessica! Oh my God! No!" Sookie said forcefully.

"But it doesn't change the fact that you hooked up with Eric… which by the way, ripped Bill's heart out… again." Jessica muttered grudgingly, her face a mix of defiance and exasperation.

"No, you're right, it doesn't. Yes, I did hook up with Eric, but I was brokenhearted and Eric was… Eric, but… not Eric." Sookie puffed her breath out with frustration, blowing her bangs up. "Eric was under a spell, he was so different… but the bond was still there. I was vulnerable and distraught and it just… happened." Sookie shrugged her shoulders. "Besides, it's not like Bill didn't enjoy his… uh, bachelorhood. Anyway, what's done is done. We can't change the past, no matter how much we wish we could." Sookie said.

Now that the situation had calmed down, Jason breathed a sigh of relief and sat down as Jessica paced back and forth.

"So… what now? If the bonds are gone, what are you going to do now?" Jessica stopped her pacing and looked at Sookie questioningly.

Sookie looked down at her hands. That's the million dollar question that had been foremost in her mind for the past month or so.

"I- I don't know…" She mumbled

"WHAT!" Jess rolled her eyes and demanded, "Come on Sookie! Do you love Bill? Or Eric?" Jessica asked Sookie bluntly.

"I…" Sookie started, but then Jessica held out her hands to stop her.

"You know what? Don't tell me… you need to get off your sorry butt and make a decision, Sookie. I care about Bill, I love him with all my heart but I'm tired of seeing him like this. If you don't love him, then please just leave him alone!

He deserves to be happy Sookie and if you can't or won't give him that, then you might as well stay the hell away from him. Sookie, I'm not kidding around.

Do.

Not.

Hurt.

Him.

Again.

Or I will do something about it. Maker's orders be damned" Jessica's fangs had run out again and the implication was crystal clear to Sookie. Jessica turned to Jason and said, "Let's go… We're done here."

Without waiting for Jason to respond, Jessica turned around and walked to the front door. Jason looked at Sookie. He gave her a shrug, not quite sure just how to respond, then said, "Hey! The chicken was great Sook! Bye!" then followed Jessica out, leaving Sookie sitting there, shocked speechless.


	14. Chapter 14

After Jason and Jessica left, Sookie just sat there in the kitchen, her eyes finally wide open. Jessica was right, she needed to sort her emotions and put an end to this whole mess.

Sookie thought first about Eric, and she had to admit that Eric had certain attributes that made him attractive. But, there was more to life than good looks, and there were plenty of handsome, witty and charming men out there, Bill and Sam among them.

Eric had lied to her so many times that she had lost count. He had proven to her that he would use any and all means to get what he wanted regardless of who he hurt, inconvenienced or even killed in the process! He had tricked her into taking his blood, knowing full well she was Bill's. But, when Eric was under the spell, he was so different!

She dropped her head to the table cushioning it with her folded arms. Sookie thought about what she'd witnessed between Eric and Godric. She'd seen real feelings from Eric… his grief, his love and caring. It had touched her. Eric had shown he was capable of caring for others. Was that the reason she was so moved by his helplessness while under Marnie's spell?

Granted, she forced the words to cross her mind. Yes, Eric was capable of caring but in one way or another, there was always some payoff for him in some unknown way. He had cared deeply for Godric but, he was Eric's Maker. Sookie knew from bitter experience, that feelings about Makers ran the gamut.

Bill had despised Lorena, Eric had been totally devoted to Godric and Pam obviously loved Eric to no end. But she'd seen how viciously Eric treated Pam as of late. Pam was his progeny, his loyal and trusted companion for decades, but he'd tossed her away without a second thought because of Sookie.

Did that mean that he cared about her? Sookie sat up straight and faced the bottom line. The clear and precise answer was a resounding no. Eric was attracted to her because she was 'special'. When Eric found out that she had already belonged to Bill, it only intensified his desire to have her, just to prove he could.

The real question was this; was her attraction to Eric purely physical or was it real? She looked at it with startling clarity when she realized that she had never gone to Eric of her own accord. Sookie had sought him out more than once because she needed something from him! Sookie startled herself when she laughed out loud! She'd never realized it before… she'd just been his female mirror image! It was the revelation she'd hoped for. She didn't love Eric; she'd loved the idea of Eric being a sweetheart and giving her everything she'd had with Bill!

She got up from the table and poured herself a glass of sweet tea and carried to the living room, then made herself comfortable on the sofa and thought about what had happened with the 'other' Eric. For the very first time, she truly understood the concept of a 'rebound relationship'. She'd been hurt, vulnerable and if she was glaringly honest, looking for a way to strike back at Bill whether or not she'd thought of it consciously at the time or not.

Sookie's thoughts shifted to Bill, he'd lied to her from the beginning. Their meeting had been carefully orchestrated; she was never more than just another job to him. But their feelings toward each other became very real, despite being bound her by blood only a day after their meeting.

In her heart of hearts, Sookie was sure Bill loved her. Did she love him? Did she yearn for him, ache at the thought of his touch? Yes, she did. But were her feelings really the truth? He had proven to her again and again how much he loved her and Sookie believed him then.

One thing that Sookie couldn't overlook was that she'd gone to Bill on her own. She hadn't been untrue to herself, and she knew it. The night they first made love, she had made her decision and followed through with it without reservation.

Bill might have arranged their meeting, but he had never forced her to do anything against her will. She had given herself willingly. Sookie sighed, a tiny smile on her face… no, she couldn't, no, she wouldn't allow herself to believe anything other than the fact that she had gone to him of her own free will.

When she thought that Bill had died in the fire, she'd been devastated. She'd been so relieved when he emerged from the ground; she'd been shocked with herself as she remembered their frenzied coupling in the cemetery. It made her blush even now. Good heavens! Bill had walked into the mid-day sun to try and save her! Sookie remembered how horrified she was when she saw how badly he was burned.

However, she also recalled the incident in the back of the van after she rescued him from Lorena. Sookie knew that he wasn't himself then. He was dying and he was fighting for his survival. Besides, wasn't she had been the one to start feeding him her blood in the first place? How could she fault him for that fiasco?

Sookie thought about what Tara said the other night. Sookie somehow found a way to rationalize away Eric and his lies and yet, when it came to Bill, she judged him harshly virtually every time!

Sookie realized that she had extremely high expectations when it came to Bill. Sookie was suddenly faced a glaring and unpleasant fact, she'd put Bill so high on the pedestal, that he had nowhere else to go but down in her eyes. Sookie sucked in a sharp, harsh breath as it hit her full force.

The answer was there… it had always been there. All this time and she'd never seen it so clearly. She loved Bill, with all her heart. She had never stopped loving him, despite everything that happened between them. Her anger and the blood bonds had confused her without doubt but what had she really been doing all this time?

Her Gran had warned her to stay away from Eric, but she'd stubbornly ignored her. Tara warned her too and instead of listening to her, Sookie pushed her away, almost destroying their friendship in the process. Sookie always told herself that she was confused, while in reality, she was just afraid… She was scared of being hurt; she was frightened of being alone in this world. As a result, she had lost the man that she loved wholeheartedly. She had pushed him away one time too many and he finally left her.

Tears slowly made their way down her cheeks as the reality hit her hard. Bill had moved on, and she was the one who had pushed him down the path he was on now. Sookie's mind was filled with the images of Bill and Rachel together. They'd looked so… happy. It could have been her, but she'd ruined it out of sheer stubbornness and outright stupidity. He loved her, but she had kept pushing him away. Even Sookie knew you could only kick a dog so many times before it refused to come when called.

Now he had finally moved on and she had no one else to blame. Regret surged through her. Sookie remembered that Gran told her that it was okay to be alone. Still, Sookie couldn't imagine her life without Bill in it. Eric, on the other hand, wasn't of much importance. When she considered that the first time she'd seen him after the bonds were broken, she really hadn't thought much about him. Bill on the other hand was on her mind constantly. She wasn't sure whether she would be able to live without him.

Sookie buried her face in her hands as she cried harder. She cried for the mess that she had created in her life, for her Gran, and mostly, she cried for the love that she had lost. Sookie didn't know how long she sat there and cried. After she had calmed down, she felt absolutely exhausted. Her only desire at the moment was to escape the chaos of her shredded emotions. So she dragged herself upstairs and fell onto her bed fully clothed. She curled up into a tight ball and fell asleep almost immediately.

Sookie woke up feeling restless and miserable. But for the first time in months, her head was finally clear. She took a hot shower and felt slightly better afterwards. She ate her breakfast and left for Merlotte's.

At work, Sookie couldn't seem to concentrate. She couldn't stop thinking about her resolution last night and how she had essentially and single handedly ruined what might be her only chance of happiness. She was distracted and messed up a lot of orders and her tips were practically zero. When Sam asked her to go home two hours before her shift ended, Sookie protested.

"I'm fine, Sam. Just let me finish my shift." Sookie insisted.

"No, you're not. I'm sorry but you are not yourself, Sook and I can't afford to lose any more customers." Sam gave her smile trying to make light of it, but she wasn't going to give up so easily, he could see it on her face so he said firmly, "I mean it now… go home, come back tomorrow when you're feeling better." Sookie grudgingly went to get her purse and drove home.

When she arrived home, she went to the living room and plopped down on the sofa with a huff of annoyance. Being home alone only made things worse for her. Sookie's eyes drifted toward the coffee table and saw the wrapped package lying there. She reached for it and absently ran her hand over the beautiful gift wrapping.

Naturally, her thoughts shifted to Bill and the time that they'd spent together. 'So, this is it. I'm gonna spend the rest of my life wallowing in self-pity.' She thought bitterly. Suddenly Gran's voice boomed in her mind.

"Sookie Stackhouse, you made your choice and now you have to live with it. I raised you better than this. You get yourself up, dust yourself off and get yourself over to Mr. Bill Compton and give him his Christmas present. He is above all, one of your best friends, so you'd best mind your manners young lady!" The debate was over for good; she would take her present for Bill to him and resign herself to them being great friends.

It had taken her all afternoon to get up enough nerve to even leave the house, so it was full dark when Sookie found herself standing at the outer border of the Compton's estate, clutching the bag containing Bill's DVDs tightly in her hands. Sookie took a deep breath and then walked toward the house. As expected, a pair of well-armed guards stopped her.

"Your name please…" One of the guards asked.

"I'm Sookie Stackhouse. I live next door." Sookie told him

"Miss Stackhouse, please state your purpose." The same guard said.

"I'm here to see the King and give him his Christmas present." Sookie answered.

"I'm sorry Miss Stackhouse; we're going to have to verify the contents before you can go any further." The guard said kindly. Sookie sighed. She knew that this was a standard security protocol, but she wasn't gonna let them open her present!

"C'mon guys! It's a Christmas present. It'll look terrible if it's opened! I swear on my Gran it isn't something that's going to explode or anything like that! Please?"

"I'm sorry, Miss. But we must know what is inside the bag. It's for security reasons." The guard told her apologetically.

"It's a DVD box set." Sookie said, reluctantly holding out the package.

Then the other sentry said, "Hang on, I've got an idea." He turned from her and said something quietly in his radio mike. Just a few moments another heavily armed guard zipped up to them on a golf cart. He knew Sookie and gave her a smile, "Evening Sookie, hop on and we'll get this taken care of."

Sookie smiled a little and said politely, "Hey Beau." Sookie got in the cart holding the bag on her lap. Seconds later, she found herself inside a small office area. There was a machine with a belt just like the one at airports and he said, "Go ahead and set it down there." Pointing to the conveyor belt, she did and the machine hummed as the bag disappeared into the opening. When it emerged on the opposite side, Beau gave her a big smile and said, "See, now that wasn't so hard was it?"

Sookie gave a little laugh and Beau said, "C'mon, I'll take ya' up to the house."

"Thanks Beau!" Sookie said cheerfully when he dropped her off and walked up the steps. The two guards at the front door let her pass without saying anything. Sookie guessed that her presence was already known by the entire household. Sookie was just happy that Beau had come up with a way to ensure the bag was safe without wrecking the wrapping to reveal its contents. She wanted Bill to be surprised at the gift.

When she entered the house, she looked around in awe. The place was decorated brightly. Sookie didn't know if vampires celebrated Christmas, but this place sure looked beautiful and was quite festive! Various Christmas ornaments hung from the ceiling, the walls, and along the banisters. Sookie looked to her left and spotted a Christmas tree standing in the corner of the of the stairs corner, with beautiful, colorful little lamps glittering around it.

"Excuse me, may I help you?" A voice asked, behind her from the doorway of Bill's office, making Sookie jump. Sookie turned to look at the source of the voice and gasped softly. There, standing in front of her, was none other than Rachel herself. 

This time, Sookie got a good look at her and she had to admit that this woman was truly striking. Her long auburn hair was tied into a ponytail and she had a pair of sparkling green eyes. Her ivory skin perfected her look. Sookie couldn't help but felt a surge of jealousy as she observed that Rachel was wearing well-worn jeans and a lightweight cotton sweater that complimented her eyes amazingly. Clearly, she seemed very much at home. Sookie even noticed (however weirdly) that Rachel was barefoot.

"Miss, are you alright? What can I do for you?" Rachel asked again. Her eyes slightly concerned but also curious. Rachel knew the young woman had been cleared by the sentries, so that didn't worry her, but still it seemed odd.

"Ah, um… I'm… I'm looking for Bi... um the King?" Sookie said nervously. And just that quick, Sookie's courage drained away, leaving her tongue tied and self-conscious.

"I see, and what is your name? Do you have an appointment?" Rachel asked her kindly, sensing Sookie's discomfort.

"I'm Sookie Stackhouse and no, I don't have an appointment." Sookie answered, her automatic, tense, self-defense smile pasted on her face.

"It's so nice to meet you, Ms. Stackhouse! I'm Rachel Davis. I'm terribly sorry, but Bill isn't here right now. He should be back soon, though, would you like to wait for him? If it's urgent I can call him and let him know that you're here." Rachel said warmly.

"Ah, no. it's not that important. I can wait for him." Sookie said. Yup… Rachel had Bill's private cell phone number. She felt her heart sink a little but held her ground. She was tempted to just give the package to Rachel and ask her to give it to Bill, but her Gran told her that if she was sincere with her gift giving, she should give it directly to the recipient. She ignored her Gran's words before and she had managed to mess up her life big time. She certainly wouldn't ignore Gran's words again!

"Of course. Please follow me." Rachel led her into the living room. "Please take a seat. Is there anything that I can get you? A drink, maybe?" Rachel asked her pleasantly.

"No, thank you." Sookie put her bag down on the floor. She resisted the urge to read Rachel's thoughts. That would be very rude and she was sure that Bill wouldn't appreciate it if she peeked into his girlfriend's head. The last thing that Sookie needed was to worsen their relationship further.

"When he gets back, I'll let him know that you're here. I'd really love to chat but I am under a deadline and must finish on time. If you need anything, just let me know." Rachel smiled brightly at her and then left the room, closing the doors quietly behind her.

Sookie's eyes drifted instantly to the fireplace with a warm and cheery fire burning. Sookie's eyes began to fill with unshed tears as she remembered the night she'd given Bill her virginity. 'Yup,' Sookie thought, 'I did this to myself.' She wiped at her eyes and reached down deep inside her and pulled out what was left of her fragile strength. "You can do this!" Sookie whispered, and then heard voices outside the door. Her senses told her what she already knew. Bill had returned, and it was time to deal with the choices she had made like an adult.


	15. Chapter 15

"Good evening, Sookie." Bill stepped into his foyer and greeted her. 

It had been over a month since Bill talked to her. He called her a few days after their bond was broken to check on her. But she didn't pick up. He had left her a message, hoping that she would call him back, but she never did. So, he didn't push the matter and he hadn't called her since. He missed her terribly. Some nights, he wanted to walk across the cemetery, just to see her. But he always talked himself out of it. He told himself that she was safer now and better off without him. It was unfair of him to seek her out again, even though it was killing him not to be able to see her.

"Good evening…" Sookie stood up and greeted him nervously.

"Please, take a seat." Bill gestured to her to sit down and when she did, he sat down in front of her.

"How are you doing? It has been a while since we talked." Bill started. He saw her at Merlotte's only a couple of nights ago, but he didn't have a chance to talk to her. He had hoped that Sookie wouldn't be working that night. No such luck, though. The moment he stepped into Merlotte's, he could smell her. But she had made it clear from the start that she didn't want the bond between them, so he let her be, although that didn't stop him from glancing at her every now and then. He just couldn't help himself.

"I'm fine, thanks." Sookie lied. She couldn't tell him that for the past month or so, she had been struggling with her emotions and just when she finally got that sorted out, it was already too late. "How are you?" Sookie asked him back.

"I'm quite well, thank you." Bill answered politely and then he asked her the one question that had been bugging him for the past month, "Did the ritual have any effect?"

"What do you mean?" Sookie looked puzzled.

"Breaking the blood bonds. Does it have the… desired effect?" Bill looked at Sookie.

"Sort of, yeah." Sookie said. Bill's expression hardened.

"So, are you seeing Eric now?" Bill braced himself for her answer. He prepared himself to hear the worst; that she had decided to go back to Eric now that their bond was already broken.

"Eric? No! I bumped into him a few nights back, but I'm not… _seeing_ him." Sookie was surprised. How could he think that she's seeing Eric? She wouldn't be here if she was.

Bill felt hope rose up in him, but he quickly tamped it down. Just because she wasn't seeing Eric, didn't mean that she wanted to be with him.

"What brought you here this evening? Not that I'm not glad to see you, but it's quite… unexpected." Bill changed the topic.

Sookie contemplated her answer. Should she tell him everything about her resolution last night? She wanted to tell him that she had made a huge mistake. It's not Eric that she wanted; it was Bill. It had always been him. Sookie wanted to apologize to him for all the injustice that she had done to him and tell him that she loved him. Sookie opened her mouth and was ready to spill everything, but suddenly, there's a knock on the door. They turned their heads toward the door and found Rachel standing at the doorway.

"Bill, would you like a drink? I can heat up a bottle for you." Rachel asked Bill with a warm smile on her face. Sookie's heart sank when she took note that there's a sense of familiarity between the two of them. She felt like a bucket of cold water was just being poured over her. What was she thinking? She had almost admitted her feelings to him when his girlfriend was just outside the door!

"No, Rachel. Thank you." Bill politely declined her offer.

Rachel turned her attention to Sookie, "What about you, Ms. Stackhouse? Would you like a drink?" Rachel asked politely.

Rachel had offered her a drink earlier, but Sookie guessed she offered again just to be polite. Sookie wondered if Rachel knew anything about her and Bill's history. She didn't seem to recognize her or anything. 'Oh well, maybe I'm not worth mentioning.' Sookie thought bitterly.

"Miss Stackhouse?" Rachel's voice broke through her reverie. Sookie glanced up to see both Bill and Rachel were looking at her curiously.

"Ah, no… I'm good. No, thank you." Sookie answered. 'Great! Now they'll think you're a nut case! Good job, Sookie!' Sookie told herself silently.

Rachel excused herself and left them alone.

"You have not answered my question." Bill said, turning his attention back to Sookie.

"What?" Sookie blinked, momentarily stunned. "Oh!" She suddenly remembered. Sookie could feel a blush creeping up her face. She looked at Bill and saw that he was watching her intently.

"Ah, yes. I'm here to… um, give you this." Sookie retrieved the bag from the floor and put it on the coffee table.

"What is this?" Bill looked at the bag curiously.

"It's your Christmas present, from me. I know it's still early, but I just want to give it to you now. So, I came here to give it to you. Beau checked it earlier, so don't worry, it's safe. It won't explode or anything like that." Sookie babbled. Sookie felt as nervous as a teenage girl giving something to her first crush in high school.

"Why, thank you, Sookie. That's very nice of you." Bill was surprised. He never thought Sookie would actually get him something!

"Right, yeah, um, I'll just go. I don't want to disturb you anymore." Sookie stood up hastily and started toward the door. Bill stood up too and put a hand on her arm to stop her.

"Could you wait here for a moment? I'll be right back." Bill asked her. Sookie just nodded. Bill left the room and returned with something in his hand.

"Merry Christmas, Sookie." Bill stood in front of her, holding a package for her to take. Sookie stared down at it.

"You got me a Christmas present?" Sookie asked in disbelief. She looked at him in surprise. She hadn't expected _that!_

"Yes, I did. I had wanted to give it to you on Christmas Eve, but since you are here now…" Bill trailed off. Sookie slowly took the nicely wrapped box from him.

"Thank you, Bill." Sookie whispered. Bill smiled softly at her. Their eyes met and for that brief moment, they felt like the world around them had vanished. The moment was broken by a knock on the door and there was a guard standing at the doorway.

"What?" Bill asked him with a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"I'm sorry for interrupting, Your Majesty, but Nicholas is here and he said he has some important information for you." The guard said nervously.

"Tell him to wait in my office. I'll see him there in a few minutes." Bill said. The guard bowed and left. Bill turned to Sookie.

"Have you had your dinner?" He asked her. They were standing so close to each other they could have kissed. Bill couldn't help but be aware of the scents that were unique to Sookie alone, the smell of her shampoo, her hand lotion. Bill knew that if he was blindfolded and placed in a room with a hundred women, he'd find her in seconds.

"Not yet." Sookie said. In such close proximity, Sookie could smell him too. He smelled nice, familiar, and comforting.

"Why don't you stay for dinner? Rachel is a good cook, or so they tell me." Bill said to her. Sookie was startled as she realized that she had let herself get carried away in the moment and forgotten all about Rachel.

"No!" Sookie said with more force than she intended and then continued in softer tone, "I don't want to intrude." Sookie quickly stepped back from him, much to Bill's disappointment.

"You wouldn't be intruding! I'm sure that Rachel will be happy to have you joining us. I understand she's made apple pie for dessert." Bill tried to persuade her to stay. He didn't want her to leave… not yet.

"But…" Sookie tried to decline his invitation. She was feeling awkward and just a little confused. Why would Bill want to make this difficult situation worse? She wasn't sure she could stand seeing them together!

As if on cue, Rachel's voice came from the doorway, "Bill, I heard Nick is here, will he join us for dinner?" Rachel asked.

"Yes I believe so. And Miss Stackhouse will be joining us for dinner as well. Will you not, Sookie?" Bill asked Sookie one more time.

"Ah, no, I…" Sookie tried again. She didn't understand why Bill was being so adamant about her joining them for dinner. Was he going to rub it in her face that he had found someone else?

"Oh, that's great! Maybe you can help me in the kitchen?" Rachel said before Sookie could even finish her sentence.

"It's settled, then. Sookie, I have to take care of something first. But I'll be joining you soon." Bill smiled at her before turning around and walked out, his Christmas present in his hand. At the doorway, he stopped briefly and patted Rachel's forearm with his free hand. "Behave." Bill said with a mock sternness. Rachel giggled. Sookie watched the exchange and swallowed hard as she felt her jealousy rise up in her. But before Sookie could say anything, Rachel was standing in front of her.

"I hope you don't mind helping me?" Rachel looked excited.

"Of course, I can help with that." Sookie forced a smile. She didn't know why Rachel was so happy, but it was too late to back out now. She had no choice but to have dinner with them.

"Great! Oh, you can leave your things here. We're not expecting anyone else." Rachel told her. Sookie put her purse and her Christmas present on the coffee table and followed Rachel as she led the way to the kitchen.

"I guess there will be four of us, you, me, Bill and Nick. That means I'm not eating alone. Vamps… They always look at me funny whenever I eat in front of them." Rachel told her as they headed for the kitchen. Her eyes were shining with happiness.

"Yes, I know the feeling…" Sookie mumbled. She couldn't believe that she was here, with her ex's new girlfriend and the new girl didn't seem to know her.

"So, Sookie, can I call you Sookie?" Rachel asked her. Sookie just nodded silently. "So, I've heard some things about you." Rachel said. Sookie's head whipped around to look at her with wide eyed expression.

"Oh my God! I'm sorry, I didn't mean it to come out like that!" Rachel said apologetically.

"It's okay. This is a small town and people talk…" Sookie reassured her. Rachel just smiled sheepishly at her. When they reached the kitchen, Sookie saw that Rachel was pretty much done with the cooking.

"Mmm… It smells so good!" Sookie said appreciatively. Evidently, Rachel could cook. The air was filled with many delicious smells.

"Thank you. Let's put these on the table. Oh, I also made some blood dishes for the vamps. I hope they'll like it. I know Bill does, but I want to surprise Nick." Rachel started to move the food onto the table.

"Ms, Davis…" Sookie started. But Rachel interrupted her.

"Please, call me Rachel. Bill's friends are my friends too." Rachel told her warmly.

"Rachel, I really don't think that I should be joining you guys for dinner. I understand that this is a private time and I don't want to intrude." Sookie told her. Sookie had resigned to the fact that Bill had moved on and she was just glad that he had found someone nice.

"Oh, don't worry about it. I'm pretty sure that Nick will be busy talking to Bill the whole time anyway. Bill never invited his friends over for dinner. Usually we have dinner together with some guards on duty. I'm glad that you'll be joining us. I'll have someone to chat with when the boys are busy talking about their vamp business. Nick and I can have our… private time later." Rachel told Sookie gleefully, a slight blush on her cheeks.

"Nick?" Sookie asked confusedly. What did Rachel mean by private time with Nick?

"Oh, he's my boyfriend. I'll introduce you to him later." Rachel said with a big smile.

"Your boyfriend?' Sookie asked in surprise. "Wait, so you're not… Bill's girlfriend?"

"What? No! Of course not! Bill is a dear friend and I'm doing a piece on him. I'm a journalist, you see. Oh gees… You thought I was Bill's…?" Rachel couldn't finish her sentence because she started laughing. After she got over her initial shock, Sookie joined her as she felt relief flooded through her. Soon, both women were giggling hysterically in the middle of the kitchen.

"What gave you the idea of me being Bill's girlfriend?" Rachel asked Sookie curiously after their laughter had subsided.

"Someone told me about it and then I saw you two at Merlotte's a few days ago. I thought you were on a date." Sookie said.

"Merlotte's? Oh, you mean the bar? Were you there?" Rachel's brows furrowed as she tried to remember seeing Sookie there.

"I work there." Sookie told her. Now that she knew Rachel wasn't Bill's girlfriend, Sookie felt much more at ease with her.

"Oh, so you're the one!" Rachel suddenly exclaimed.

"What?" Sookie looked baffled. What was Rachel talking about?

"Bill seemed distracted that night. He kept looking over my shoulder. Now I get it, he was looking for you!" Rachel said.

"But he didn't even look at me. He looked like he was enjoying his time with you." Sookie remembered that night all too well. She recalled how hurt and how jealous she was when she saw the two of them sitting there, seemingly enjoying themselves.

Rachel let out an unladylike snort. "Yeah, right. I was tempted to kick his legs a few times just to get his attention." Rachel let out an amused laugh. But then, her face turned serious, "So tell me, Sookie, who are you really? I've known Bill for a while and I've never seen him like this."

"How long have you known him?" Sookie asked curiously. Sookie wasn't exactly surprised by this information. After seeing how the two interacted, she that had suspected they'd known each other for some time.

Rachel scratched her chin absently. "About… 10 years? I met him in New Orleans. He and Nick were working together on something. They became good friends and then Nick and I moved to New York. We kept in touch with Bill, but about three years ago, we lost contact with him. Next thing we know, we moved back to New Orleans, and Bill is the new King of Louisiana."

"Wait, so you've known about vampires even before they came out of the coffin?" Sookie asked. Her voice filled with awe and curiosity.

"Yes. Nick and I have been together for years. I've known him since I was seventeen, I'm 33 now. I lost my parents in a car accident and Nick was the one who saved my life. He took me with him and we entered the 21st century as lovers. We've been together ever since. We just celebrated our 11th Anniversary two months ago." Rachel told Sookie with a nostalgic smile on her face. Sookie looked at Rachel in astonishment.

"When we found out that Bill is now vampire royalty, I begged him to give me an exclusive interview about his daily, sorry nightly job. He agreed. I was so excited! As a journalist I can 'smell' good stories, you know... being able to work with a vampire King, observe him closely, not to mention having the chance to interview him exclusively is a dream comes true for a journalist." Rachel said with a laugh. "Anyway, Nick had to go back to New Orleans because of his job, but I can't keep going back and forth. So I stay here from time to time." Sookie just looked at her with a look of utter fascination. "Enough about me, tell me about you, Sookie." Rachel asked her.

"Um, well… There's nothing much to tell about me. I'm just a regular waitress working at Merlotte's. Just an average Southern girl, I guess. Nothing special." Sookie's fingers traced along the edge of the kitchen counter.

"No, my dear. I don't think so. There is definitely something special about you." Rachel said with her hand touching her chin in a thoughtful expression.

"Why do you say that?" Sookie asked. Did Rachel know about her telepathy? About her being a part-fae? Did Bill tell her about that?

"Like I said, I've never seen Bill like this. He's always serious and stoic. But what I can see is that he's… besotted. I've known Bill for years and I've never seen him this enraptured by anyone else before. The way he looks at you reminds me of the way Nick looks at me. It's a look of a man in love." Rachel smiled kindly at Sookie. For her part, Sookie just stood there looking at Rachel in disbelief.

Apparently, Rachel wasn't done yet. "Look, I don't know what happened between the two of you. But there's something different about him. I asked, but he wouldn't tell me anything. I don't want to upset him, so I didn't say anything else. Now I know why he behaves so weirdly lately, especially that night at Merlotte's. That man is in love, Sookie and I can tell that you are in love with him too. And you thought that I'm with him. I'm so sorry, that must have hurt." Rachel patted Sookie's hand gently. Sookie just stared at her open mouthed.

"Oh, wow…" Sookie managed. Yes, she was being stubborn. Even Rachel could see it all. "Wait, I should be the one apologizing. I just assumed…" Sookie tried to explain, but Rachel cut her off.

"Don't worry about it. It's okay. I understand. I wasn't so sure earlier and I didn't want to make any assumptions. But now it's pretty clear." Rachel gave Sookie a wink. Despite herself, Sookie laughed slightly.

"Well, Bill and I, we… we're having some problems. And when I was told about you, I just thought that he'd moved on and I'd lost my chance." Sookie didn't know why was she telling Rachel this, but it felt nice to talk about it.

"Sookie, I don't know what happened with you two and I don't mean to pry, although that's what I do for a living…" Rachel trailed off. "But that's not the point. Sookie, I just want to say that, loving someone, human, vampire, or otherwise, is not easy. Nick and I have had our share of problems and fights, but the most important thing is you don't allow your problems to rule your relationship.

Fights and arguments are normal in any relationship. After you fight, you forgive each other and learn from your mistakes. That's how you deepen your love for each other and develop your relationship. I'm sure it's not too late for you and Bill. Whatever problem you two had, or are still having, if you love each other, you will work it out somehow. It might take some time, but be patient. You can't hurry love. Bill is not perfect, but then again, none of us are, he's a good man Sookie." Rachel beamed at Sookie.

"I know." Sookie said softly. "Thank you, Rachel." Sookie thanked her sincerely and to her surprise, Rachel pulled her into a hug.

"Anytime! I know it's not easy to have a relationship with a vamp, but hey, Nick and I are still together after all these years. If we can do it, you can do it too." Rachel told her cheerfully. Sookie laughed. The two women finished putting the food on the table and chatted while waiting for the vampires to join them.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

"Ladies…" Bill's voice came from the kitchen doorway. Both Sookie and Rachel looked up and saw Bill coming in followed by another vampire.

"Nick!" Rachel jumped up from her seat and threw herself at Nick. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly.

"I've missed you so much, babe!" Rachel exclaimed as she leaned forward to kiss Nick hard. After a moment, Bill cleared his throat.

"Please keep that in private." Bill told them sternly, but his eyes were sparkling with laughter.

"My apologies, Your Majesty." Rachel said to Bill, but she didn't look sorry at all. Nick laughed and planted a kiss on Rachel's temple. He glanced around the room and noticed Sookie.

"And who is this lovely lady?" Nick took a step toward Sookie, his eyes filled with curiosity. Bill stepped forward and stood between Sookie and Nick.

"This is Miss Sookie Stackhouse." Bill said to Nick before he turned to Sookie, "Sookie, this is Nicholas Lancer. He is an old friend of mine." Bill introduced them.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Stackhouse." Nick bowed slightly and held out his hand. Sookie blushed slightly and placed her hand in his. Nick placed a gentle kiss at the back of Sookie's hand.

Sookie looked at Nick and guessed he must be around the same age with Bill when he was turned. He looked like he was in his early thirties, although with vampires, there was no way to know when he was turned. He was a handsome vampire with his light brown hair and bright blue eyes.

"Nice to meet you too, Mr. Lancer." Sookie smiled brightly at him, which he returned. 

Bill watched the exchange intently. He was sure that Nicholas could sense that Sookie was different from other humans and he didn't want anything unexpected to happen.

"Please, call me Nick. Mr. Lancer sounds too formal." Nick said with a big smile across his handsome face.

"Only if you call me Sookie." Sookie smiled back at him.

"Deal." Nick shook her hand firmly, much to Sookie's surprise since she knew that vampires didn't shake hands.

"Let's eat, shall we?" Rachel said cheerfully. She led the way to the dining table. Sookie moved to take her seat, and Bill pulled her chair out for her.

"Thank you." Sookie sat down, looked up at Bill and gave him a sweet smile.

Bill just smiled down at her. Unconsciously, Bill bent down lower and their faces were getting closer to each other. They gazed longingly into each other's eyes. They were so caught up in the moment that they jumped when they heard a throat being cleared loudly. Bill immediately straightened up.

"Please keep that in private." Nick repeated Bill's words earlier, a huge grin plastered on his face. Bill gave him a scowl, but Nick's grin didn't falter. Sookie caught Rachel's eyes and the journalist gave her a wink, which made Sookie blush furiously.

Bill gently pushed Sookie's chair forward before he sat himself down beside her, facing Nick. They began to eat and to Rachel and Nick's amusement, Bill seemed to be having some difficulties concentrating on his food.

Bill couldn't help but glancing sideways at Sookie every now and then. He'd never imagined that they would sit down and have dinner together. Even though he couldn't feel the shift in Sookie's mood, she seemed to be more at ease compared to earlier. It made him wonder, but nonetheless, he was happy about it.

"Where did you learn how to make this soup, my darling?" Nicholas asked Rachel as he scooped up another spoonful of the blood soup.

"From a recipe book that I found a few days ago. Do you like it?" Rachel told him as she put her salad into her mouth.

"It's excellent, is it not, Your Majesty?" Nick asked Bill casually. Bill forced himself to tear his eyes away from Sookie to look at Nick, who gave Bill an amused look. Sookie glanced at Bill and then at Nick, before finally looking at Rachel questioningly.

"Yes, this is a very tasty soup." Bill responded after a second. Rachel had to bite her lip to keep herself from laughing out loud. "Nick, you were telling me about your recent trip to Egypt. Why don't you tell us more about it..." Bill hastily steered the conversation away from himself.

For the rest of their dinner, they talked more about Egypt and Rachel told Sookie about Egypt's local delights. The atmosphere at the table was light and pleasant.

A little later, as they were cleaning up the kitchen after dinner, Rachel asked Sookie "How was the food? I hope you liked it." The two vampires had retired to Bill's office.

"It was great! Thank you. You really are a good cook." Sookie rinsed the dishrag that she used to wipe the table in the sink.

"I'm glad that at least one of you paid attention to the food." Rachel said with laughter in her eyes.

"What do you mean?" Sookie looked at Rachel confusedly.

"Don't think that we didn't notice it. Bill was busy eyeballing you the whole time and when he wasn't staring at you, you were looking at him. I must say, it was quite entertaining." Rachel giggled as she recalled the scene that she just witnessed.

"I didn't… I wasn't looking at him…" Sookie tried to deny it, but a blush quickly made its way up her cheeks.

"I've lost count of how many times you've blushed tonight, my dear…" Rachel teased Sookie good-naturedly, which only made Sookie blush even more.

"Don't worry about it. I completely understand and I'd say that Nick caught it too. I've always known that my vamp is clever." Rachel said endearingly.

Fifteen minutes later, they were done in the kitchen and walked to the foyer. Sookie looked at the clock and realized that it was already 10 PM.

"Oh, I should be going. Tara will be home real soon and she must be wondering where I am." Sookie said as she retrieved her purse and her Christmas present from the coffee table. Rachel looked at Sookie questioningly, but before she could ask, Sookie said, "She's my housemate."

"I see. Come on then, let's tell the guys." Rachel said. They walked to Bill's office and Rachel knocked.

"Enter." Bill said from inside the room. Rachel opened the door and the women entered the office.

"Sookie's leaving." Rachel announced. The men stood up and approached them. Rachel gave Nick a pointed look and jerked her head slightly toward the door.

"Well, it was nice meeting you, Sookie. I'm sure we'll meet again. Good evening." Nick smiled at Sookie warmly.

"Same here, good evening, Nick." Sookie smiled back at him. Nick bowed slightly to Bill and then left the room with Rachel, leaving Bill and Sookie alone in the office. They just looked at each other in silence.

"Thank you for dinner, Bill." Sookie said, breaking the silence.

"You're very welcome." Bill smiled softly at her.

"I… um, I should get going now." Sookie returned his smile and took a step back toward the office door.

"May I walk you home?" Bill asked hopefully. He didn't want to part from her just yet. Sookie just nodded.

The two of them walked in silence toward the cemetery that separated their houses. When they reached the middle of the cemetery, Sookie suddenly stopped walking. Bill looked at her with a question in his eyes.

"Is something wrong?" Bill couldn't help but feel alert. He sniffed the air to look for any danger, even though his guardians were discreetly near enough to react but not intrude.

"Do you remember this place?" Sookie asked him. Bill looked around.

"Yes, I certainly do. How could I not? I made a mistake that night. The first of many others." Bill sighed.

"So, when you… when we… our kiss was a mistake?" Sookie felt her heart clenching painfully in her chest.

"No! The kiss was not a mistake. But I should have told you then. I should have told you everything." Bill told her softly.

Sookie contemplated her next words, "Bill, can I ask you a question?"

Bill looked at her curiously, but he nodded. "What Eric said about the Ratts, is it true? Did you hire them to beat me up so that you could manipulate me?" Sookie looked at him squarely in the eyes She readied herself for his answer. Bill was taken aback by her question. But, he knew that he had to tell her the truth. He owed her that.

"No." Bill said firmly. "I did not hire them to beat you up. I, however, used that opportunity to bind you to me. Sookie, you have to understand, at that point, you were nothing but a job. I was asked by Sophie-Anne to procure you. I didn't know what you were. I kept asking you that, remember? I walked into Merlotte's that night to investigate you and unexpectedly, you saved me. You barely even knew me, but you saved my life.

You intrigued me and that's why I agreed to meet you after work the next day. But, I was caught up in a conference call and I was late for our appointment. When I got there, they were beating you up. I owed you my life, so I paid my debt. I killed them, to save you. I didn't realize the extent of your injuries until you told me that you couldn't feel your legs. I acted on instinct and I gave you my blood to save you. I couldn't have you dying on me because Sophie-Anne would surely kill me if I failed my assignment. The blood bond was just an added bonus. I thought that by binding you to me, it would be easier for me to do my job. But then, I tasted you…" Bill gazed at Sookie. "I had never tasted anything like your blood before. I was… enthralled. I want to know more about you, not as a job, but I want to know you as a person." He took a deep breath before continuing, "That night, when we kissed, I realized that I had fallen for you. I tried to fight it, but I knew that I was fighting a losing battle. The more I got to know you, the deeper I fell. I knew there was no going back for me, so I tried to protect you instead… and ended up hurting you in the process." Bill told her with a bitter smile.

"Then why did Eric say that? How did he know about the Ratts incident?" Sookie wanted to know.

"Sophie-Anne asked me about you. I lied to her. I couldn't give you to her. I was trying to buy us some time until I could figure out how to protect you from her. I told her that I hired the Ratts to beat you up, to bind you to me so that I could find out more about you. Eric must have heard it from her." Bill explained. Sookie was dumbfounded.

"I'm so sorry, Sookie. I didn't know how to tell you and by the time our relationship got more serious, I was afraid to tell you. I was scared that if I told you, I would lose you. I should have known better, than to try and deceive you." Bill stated bitterly.

Sookie made up her mind. She would tell him about how she felt. Their past heartaches were caused by dishonesty and lack of communication. Sookie wasn't going to repeat the same mistake again.

"Bill, I'm sorry too." She said simply. Bill looked at her in surprise.

"Why are you apologizing to me? I should be the one apologizing to you, Sookie. I have hurt you so many times." Bill was surprised and confused at her words.

"Bill, we've hurt each other so deeply. I have no right to treat you the way I did. I was being so unfair to you, to us." Sookie choked back her sob. She had to do this. "I know I don't deserve it, but I want… I want to try again. I want us to try again." Sookie looked at Bill warily, preparing herself for his rejection.

Bill couldn't believe his ears! "You want us to try again?" Bill thought his mind was playing tricks on him. He stared at Sookie with a mixture of expressions across his face; disbelief, surprise and hope.

"If… if you still want me, that is. After everything that I've done to you, I'd understand if you don't want me anymore." Sookie hastily said.

"I… Sookie, of course I want you. I've always wanted you. I have never wanted anyone else as much as I want you. But, we cannot do this." Bill said.

Sookie hung her head low. She couldn't bring herself to look at him. What was she thinking? After everything that she had done to him, why would he want to be with her ever again?

"I understand." Sookie whispered. She couldn't stop her tears from falling though. Sookie felt his cool finger on her chin, lifting her face to look at him. Under the moonlight, even being blurred by her tears, Sookie could see his brilliant blue eyes staring back at her. Sookie realized that she had missed those eyes so much. She had always loved his eyes. She loved the way he looked at her. It made her feel like she was the most beautiful woman in the world.

Bill cradled her face in his big hand and he used the pad of his thumb to gently wipe the tears from her eyes. "Sookie, please don't cry. Listen to me, we cannot continue from where we left off. There is too much hurt, too much pain."

"Then we'll start over. I don't care. Anything you want, Bill." Sookie said pleadingly. She knew she sounded desperate, but she didn't care.

"Sookie, before we can move forward, we need to clear up things between us. There are so many misunderstandings, lies and unanswered questions. I don't want us to repeat the same mistakes again. If we are going to do this, I want us to start afresh and this time, we are going to take it slow. I don't want to rush. I want to court you properly. Can we do that?" Bill asked her. Sookie nodded her head repeatedly, a big smile across her face.

"Thank you." Bill smiled at her. Sookie smiled back at him.

"Bill, there's one more thing. If we're going to do this, then things will have to change between us. I know that you want to protect me and I appreciate that. But I want you to know that I can take care of myself and I'm stronger than you think. I can handle a lot of things, and I believe that I have proven it to you. I'm not asking you to share every little secret with me. I know it's impossible, especially now that you're a King. But can you be more open to me? I want to be there for you as much as I want you to be there for me. You need to know that you can count on me and you can share absolutely everything with me without worrying that you would hurt me or something. Can you do that?" Sookie asked him.

Bill looked at her and after a few moments, he spoke up, "Sookie, all I want is for you to be safe and happy. I know that in the past, I made the mistake of not telling you anything and keeping you in the dark. So, yes, from now on, I will share whatever I can share with you. However, please understand that there are certain things that I can never share with you because of my job. But I can promise you that from now on, I will tell you everything if it concerns us. Is that acceptable?" Bill rested his hands lightly on her shoulders.

"Yes, thank you Bill." Sookie looked at him and for a moment, neither said anything. They just stood there, in the middle of the cemetery, gazing at each other's eyes.

"I love you." Sookie blurted out suddenly. Bill stared at her in surprise. "I know we're going to take it slow, but I want to tell you, no, I need to tell you. After everything that happened between us, I tried to hate you, but I couldn't. No matter how hard I tried to fight it, I've never stopped loving you." Sookie told Bill. She felt lighter now that she had finally told him.

"What about Eric?" Bill asked her. She had, after all, hooked up with him.

"I thought I loved him. But I didn't. I was heartbroken and Eric was… was so different. I was hurting and the blood bond did the rest. Besides, I was so mad at you. I wanted to hurt you. I thought I was given a second chance or something with him. I thought Eric was worthy of my love, but I was wrong. It wasn't Eric that I want, or love. It's you. It's always been you. I was too stubborn to admit it. But unconsciously, when I was with Eric, I was looking for your qualities, in him." Sookie was willing him to understand.

Bill took her hands in his and looked deeply into her eyes. "I love you too, Sookie. I have never stopped, nor will I ever stop loving you." Bill smiled lovingly at her. Sookie recognized that smile. It was her smile. It was a smile that was reserved for her and her alone. "We are still taking things slow, Missy." Bill raised his eyebrows comically and Sookie burst out laughing. Bill joined her. They laughed until their stomachs hurt, or at least, Sookie's stomach did. But nevertheless, they felt so good!

After their laughter had subsided, Bill offered his arm to her, "Shall we, Miss Stackhouse?"

Sookie linked her arm through his and smiled up at him, "We shall, Mr. Compton."

"So, do I have to call you 'Your Highness' or something like that?" Sookie asked curiously as they started walking.

"You can call me whatever you want. 'Bill' is fine." Bill looked down at her fondly. "Or 'My Bill' if you want to. I certainly liked that one." Bill smirked at her. Sookie swatted his arm lightly.

"You're a King now. Things won't be the same. We won't have any 'normal life'." Sookie sighed.

Bill stopped walking and stood in front of her. He held her at arms' length. "Sookie, we'll need to make some adjustments but, I need you to know that even if I'm a King, I'm still Bill, your Bill. We are still Bill and Sookie. Nothing will ever change that." Bill assured her. Sookie nodded. They continued their walk.

Five minutes later, they were standing at Sookie's front porch.

"It's late. I should be going back. But, may I call on you tomorrow?" Bill asked her.

"Yes, you may." Sookie said shyly. She felt like she was one of the girls in those old movies that her Gran used to watch.

"I will see you tomorrow evening then." Bill stepped closer. "May I kiss you good night?" He asked her hopefully. Sookie nodded her consent. Bill bent down and captured her lips with his own in a gentle kiss. Instinctively, Sookie reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck as she deepened their kiss.

Soon, their kiss heated up, Sookie could feel Bill's hand resting on the small of her back, pulling her body closer to his. After a few seconds, Bill forced himself to break their kiss and step back. Sookie was panting as she looked at him with glazed eyes.

"We're taking it slow, remember?" Bill wasn't sure whether he was reminding her or himself. It took everything in him not to kiss her again. God knew how much he missed kissing her.

"Yeah, we're taking it slow." Sookie agreed and she held her Christmas present tighter in her hands. Bill looked at the box in her hands and an idea popped up in his mind.

"Tomorrow's Christmas Eve, if you don't already have plans, perhaps you could come over and we can open them together tomorrow." Bill beamed at her, looking very pleased with his idea. It made Sookie smile brightly.

"That's a wonderful idea! I'll see you tomorrow then?" Sookie unlocked the front door.

"Yes. Good night, Sookie." Bill held the door open for her.

"Good night, Bill." Sookie entered the house.

"Lock the door." Bill reminded her. Sookie nodded and closed the door. Bill waited until he heard the lock clicked into place before he turned around and walked away.

Bill walked back to his mansion at human speed as he contemplated the evening's events. He couldn't believe that this was real, that he and Sookie were back together. After everything that transpired between them, he had given up hope of being with her again. But, he was being given a second chance and Bill was determined not to blow it. Bill knew that he was grinning like an idiot. But he didn't care. He was in love and Sookie loved him still! He was so happy right now that he thought his dead heart would burst.

After locking the door, Sookie sighed happily. She couldn't believe it! In only a few hours, her life had turned upside down… again! Sookie thought that she had lost the only man that she had ever truly loved, she was so glad that she was wrong. Bill still loved her and he was willing to give them another try. Sookie was determined to make it work. She vowed that from now on, she would not take Bill for granted. She would treasure every moment that they spent together.

Sookie walked upstairs and took a warm shower. She surprised herself when she realized that she was singing happy love songs in the shower. After her shower, Sookie put on her PJs and slipped into her bed. Sookie was aware that there were still a lot of things that needed to be cleared up between them, one of them being Eric and her house. But, for now, they were starting over and that's what mattered most.

Before she fell asleep, Sookie made a mental note to talk to Eric concerning her house. She would get her house back, even if she had to use every last cent in her bank account.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

The next morning, Sookie woke up feeling refreshed and well-rested. It had been a while since she woke up feeling this good. The memory of last night's events filled her mind and Sookie sighed happily. Sookie glanced over to the clock at the bedside table. It was a little past eight in the morning. Sookie dragged herself out of her bed into the shower.

After a quick shower, Sookie changed into her Merlotte's uniform. She checked her phone and noticed that she had one unread message. Sookie unlocked her phone to read the message. It was from Bill.

'Good morning, Sookie. I hope you rested well. I will pick you up at 8 tonight if that's alright with you. Have great day and I will see you tonight.' Sookie smiled to herself upon reading his text. She typed in a quick reply and pressed 'Send'.

Sookie put her phone inside her purse and went downstairs. She could smell the aroma of smoked bacon filling the air. When Sookie entered the kitchen, Tara was sitting at the dining table and having her breakfast.

"Good morning!" Sookie greeted Tara brightly,

"Morning. I made some breakfast. Help yourself." Tara gestured toward the stove.

"Thanks." Sookie said as she piled up some bacon and egg onto her plate and poured herself a big cup of coffee.

"Are you going to go to work today?" Tara asked her.

"Duh! Of course. Why do you ask?" Sookie took her coffee and sat down in front of Tara.

"Sam called me yesterday and told me that you left work early. What happened? Are you alright?" Tara asked Sookie. Her voice filled with concern.

"Sam was the one who asked me to go home early. I told him I was fine, but he insisted. I had no choice." Sookie took a sip of coffee from her cup.

"He's worried about you, Sook. We all are." Tara said.

"I appreciate it, but I'm fine Tara." Sookie assured Tara. Tara looked at her closely. There was something different about Sookie this morning. She seemed to be relaxed and happy. After the events of the past month or so, Tara was glad to see that Sookie seemed to be in such a good mood this morning.

"Alright then. Anyway, it's Christmas Eve. Lala and I are planning to have dinner together. God only knows what he'll make… ya'll wanna join us?" Tara asked her.

"No, I've got plans. Thanks for inviting me." Sookie told Tara cheerfully.

"What's up?" Tara asked curiously. Sookie was hiding something from her and didn't have to be her best friend to figure that out!

"What?" Sookie gave Tara an angelic look.

"I know that look. It means you're hiding something from me." Tara gave Sookie a pointed look.

"What look?" Sookie feigned confusion, but she couldn't stop the big grin that spread across her face.

"That look." Tara said with annoyance lacing her voice. Sookie's grin got even bigger.

"Something happened yesterday, didn't it?" Tara asked Sookie suspiciously.

"No. What made you say that?" Sookie said with a straight face. When Tara glared at her full force, Sookie couldn't keep it in any longer and burst out laughing, which only served to annoy Tara even more.

"C'mon, Sook. Spill! Where were you last night? Cuz' you sure as hell weren't here when I got back." Tara asked impatiently.

"What time did you get home?" Sookie asked Tara curiously.

"Ten and don't try to change the subject. Where did you go?" Tara repeated her question and waved her fork at Sookie's direction.

"I was visiting a friend." Sookie said hesitantly. Sookie knew that Tara didn't like vampires and she wasn't sure how Tara would react if she knew that Sookie was back with Bill.

"Ah-huh, what friend?" Tara couldn't help but feel worried now. Sookie was being evasive and Tara didn't like it one bit.

"Um… Bill." Sookie said tentatively.

"Bill? You went to see him? Sookie, what were you thinking?" Tara raised her voice at Sookie.

"Don't start yelling at me. I went there to give him a Christmas present." Sookie was starting to get annoyed as well, but she was determined that nothing would spoil her good mood today.

"You got him a Christmas present?" Tara asked incredulously.

"Yes, I did. Anyway, I went there to give him his Christmas present. Oh, and I met Rachel too…" At this point, Tara held out her hand to stop her. Sookie stopped talking and looked questioningly at Tara.

"Rachel? You mean his girlfriend?" Tara clarified.

"No, Rachel is just an old and dear friend. Anyway, we talked and we cleared up a few things between us and we decided that we are going to start over." Sookie looked at Tara to gauge her reaction. Tara just sat there staring back at Sookie.

"You and Bill got back together?" Tara said in disbelief after she got over her initial shock.

"I thought you would be happy for me. You told me to talk to him, remember?" Sookie looked at Tara squarely in the eyes.

"Yeah, talk! "Not, 'Let's be 'star-crossed lovers' talk! Tara said.

"Well, we are now and maybe we are star-crossed but we're going slow… very slow." Sookie shrugged her shoulders. "Tara, I know that you don't like vamps, but I'm happy!"

"I know. I can see it. And I'm happy for you, Sook. I was just surprised, is all. So, you guys are back together now…" Tara said with a thoughtful expression. "Wait, what about Eric? You don't love him?" Tara finished up the last bits of food left on her plate.

"No… I thought I did. But no, I don't love him." Sookie said with a certainty in her voice.

"Well, good to hear that. As much as I don't like Bill, I hate Eric more." Tara said as she put her dirty plates in the sink. Sookie finished eating and proceeded to help Tara with the dishes.

"What about the house?" Tara asked and glanced at the clock. They still had some time before they need to leave for work.

"I don't know. I'm gonna talk to Bill later and see if he can help me to get it back." Sookie said.

"You're meeting him later?"

"Yep. We're gonna exchange gifts, for Christmas, you know..." Sookie said happily. Tara smiled. Tara wasn't thrilled that Sookie had gotten herself involved with vampires yet again, but Tara could see that Sookie was happier than she been in way too long, so she swallowed her opinion and felt glad for her friend.

"You think Eric's gonna return the house to you?" Tara asked.

Sookie thought about this for a moment. "No. But I'll find a way. This is Gran's house, the Stackhouse homestead. I will get it back." Sookie said with determination.

After they're finished washing the dishes, they left for work. Everyone could see that Sookie was very happy today. She smiled a lot and chatted happily with the customers, and her tips were certainly better as a result!

"Sook, you look very cheery today. Any particular reason?" Sam asked.

"It's Christmas Eve, Sam. Everybody's joyful!" Sookie beamed at him. Sam knew that that wasn't the reason, but he let it go. If Sookie didn't want to tell him, he wouldn't force her.

After work, Sookie quickly drove home and started getting ready for the evening. Sookie took a long shower and spent 30 minutes choosing just the right outfit. She finally settled with a knee length red dress. It wasn't a new dress, but it fit her perfectly, much to Sookie's pleasure. Sookie brushed her hair. She was going to wear her hair down because she knew Bill liked it that way. For the same reason, Sookie opted for light make up. She put on her white gold necklace with a small ruby pendant and a pair of matching earrings. Sookie looked at her reflection in the mirror. Satisfied with her look, Sookie went downstairs.

When Sookie glanced at the clock, she saw that it was only seven thirty in the evening. Bill wouldn't be here for another half an hour or so. She couldn't believe how nervous she felt, it was silly really! This was hardly their first date, but there were butterflies in her stomach nonetheless. Since she had nothing else to do, Sookie sat down on the sofa and turned on the TV. She turned it to a program she used to watch, but since she had lost a year, she couldn't figure out what was going on. But it helped to keep her mind distracted while she was waiting for her date to arrive.

*****

Bill woke up from his daytime rest feeling happy. He checked his phone and went through his text messages. There was a text from Sookie.

'Hi Bill! 8 sounds good. I'll see you then.' Bill smiled and quickly went through his other messages. Most of them were business related. Bill glanced at the clock and saw that he had more than enough time to take care of some business before he needed to get ready for his date. He ordered some food to be delivered to his home later and then he opened his laptop to reply to several important emails before stepping into his master bath. After a shower, he quickly got dressed, and then he went downstairs for some TruBlood. Bill headed toward the kitchen and bumped into Nick and Rachel.

"Hey Bill! You going out?" Rachel asked him cheerfully.

"Good evening, Your Majesty." Nick greeted him politely with a slight bow. Bill nodded to them.

"Good evening. Yes I am. How about you? Do you have any plans for tonight?" Bill asked them as they walked together to the kitchen.

"We're just going to Shreveport for dinner and a movie." Rachel told Bill. "So, how are things going with Sookie?" Rachel asked curiously. They hadn't see Bill again since the night before and Rachel was dying to know how things turned out between the two.

"Things are going well. In fact, she has agreed to spend the evening with me. However, I have this strange feeling that you have somehow played a part in it." Bill said, raising his eyebrows at Rachel. Rachel just gave him an I-don't-know-what-you're-talking-about look and Nick chuckled.

"I'm glad to hear it! She loves you so much, you know." Rachel peered into the fridge. "TruBlood?" Rachel offered. Bill and Nick nodded. Rachel took out two bottles of TruBlood from the fridge and put them in the microwave.

"I know." Bill said with a smile. "And thank you, for whatever it was that you did." Bill said sincerely.

"Anytime, Bill." Rachel smiled back at Bill. The microwave dinged and Rachel took out the TruBlood and handed them to the vampires.

"So, where are you guys going?" Rachel poured herself a glass of apple juice.

"Nowhere. We are going to have dinner here." Bill finished his TruBlood and disposed the empty bottle in the recycle bin. Nick followed suit.

"That sounds like fun! Well, I hope you two will have a great time. And don't worry about us. We'll be gone until dawn." Rachel said.

"We will?" Nick looked at Rachel in surprise.

"Yes, babe. We will." Rachel said, looking at Nick meaningfully.

"Of course, my darling. If you say we will, then we will." Nick said with a laugh. Bill just rolled his eyes.

Nick and Rachel left shortly afterwards. Bill left some instructions for the guards and then he went to the floral shop to pick up the special order he'd placed earlier. By 7.55 PM, he was standing on Sookie's porch, holding a bouquet of red and white roses, tucked among holly with ruby red berries, and white baby's breath arranged in a gorgeous cut lead-crystal vase.

When her doorbell rang, Sookie jumped to her feet and rushed to open the door. Both smiled brightly when they saw each other.

"Good evening, Sookie. You look very lovely this evening." Bill's eyes traveled down along her body appreciatively, before going up to meet her eyes again. He leaned down to give Sookie a quick peck on her cheek.

"Good evening, Bill. You look great too." Sookie smiled shyly and she let her eyes wander over him. He was wearing a light blue shirt and dark blue suit that brought out the color of his eyes. Sookie thought he looked very handsome.

"These are for you." Bill handed the flowers to her.

"They're beautiful and they smell wonderful, Bill. Thank you." Sookie held the flowers and breathed in their scent deeply. Sookie had never seen a more beautiful arrangement and she'd certainly never received one! They were incredible.

"You're welcome. Are you ready to go?" Bill asked her with a smile.

"Yeah, just give me a second to grab a few things. Would you like to come in?" Sookie asked.

"Yes." Bill stepped in and sat down in the living room waiting for her. Sookie put the lovely flowers on the coffee table. Then she grabbed her purse, her Christmas present, and her coat. The temperature outside wasn't particularly cold, but it was windy. Bill helped her with her coat. They walked out of the house and Sookie locked the door behind her. Bill offered his arm and she smiled and took it.

"How was your day?" Bill asked her as they walked through the cemetery, heading toward the Compton mansion.

"It was great. What about you? Did you get a good rest?" Sookie asked him back.

"I did, thank you." Bill smiled down at her. For the rest of their walk, Sookie told Bill about some of the juiciest local gossip and the interesting things that she 'overheard'.

"When you and Rachel went to Merlotte's the other day, people were talking about you two." Sookie said.

"Really?" Bill let out an amused chuckle.

"Yeah. They thought that you two were on a date." Sookie told him.

"What about you? Did you think so?" Bill asked with a serious expression. Sookie was silent as she considered her answer.

"Remember when I told you about bumping into Eric? It was the night before you came to Merlotte's. Eric told me about Rachel. He said that she was your… girlfriend. I told myself that it wasn't true, that it was another one of his lies to throw me off. But then, I saw you and Rachel together at Merlotte's…" Sookie trailed off. She recalled how jealous and angry she was that night and the immense relief that washed through her when she found out the truth.

"I had not wanted to go to Merlotte's, but I promised Rachel that once our project was done, I would take her out for dinner, her choice. So, when she chose Merlotte's, I couldn't say no. I didn't know if you would be working that night. But when I looked at you, you immediately turned away. So I thought that you did not want to see me after all." Bill stopped walking, forcing Sookie to stop as well, and turned to face her. "I never thought that you would think of me and Rachel as a couple."

"What was I supposed to think? We hadn't seen each other for a while and you looked so happy with Rachel. Eric's words kept ringing in my ears and the thoughts of the other customers didn't help either." Sookie said somewhat petulantly. "That night, I thought that I'd lost the last chance that I had left. I thought… I thought I'd lost you forever." Sookie whispered the last part.

"And all this time, I thought I'd lost you to Eric." Bill looked deeply into her eyes.

"You haven't…" Sookie looked up at him and they gazed at each other longingly. Bill bent down his head until their faces were only inches apart. But, suddenly, Sookie burst out laughing. Bill straightened up and looked at her questioningly.

"Look at the pair of us… You thought you'd lost me to Eric and I thought I'd lost you to Rachel, when in reality, we've always had each other. We're hopeless." Sookie said in between giggles. Bill chuckled and then they resumed their walk.

When they reached the outskirts of the Compton estate, Sookie noticed that a few guards were scattered around the lawn. They walked past them and the guards bowed at them. It made Sookie feel awkward and slightly uncomfortable.

"What's wrong?" Bill asked, sensing her discomfort.

"Nothing. It's just… I'm not used to have people uh, bowing at me." Sookie said nervously.

"If it makes you feel uncomfortable, I can order them not to." Bill offered, but Sookie shook her head.

"It's okay. I guess this is one of the adjustments that we were talking about." Sookie said. Bill nodded and smiled at her, happy that she had understood.

They reached the front door and the two guards bowed and opened the door for them. "Sookie, we should have our dinner first." Bill said as he led Sookie to the dining room.

"I have taken the liberty of ordering some food for you." Bill told her. They entered the dining room and to Sookie's amazement, there was a wide array of food spread on the table. Sookie also spotted a bottle of her favorite white wine sitting in the middle of the table.

"Oh wow, Bill! These look delicious! Are Nick and Rachel going to join us?" Sookie asked as Bill guided her toward the table and pulled out a chair for her.

"No, they left for Shreveport earlier. They won't be back until later." Bill pushed her chair forward and sat down across from her. He picked up the wine bottle and poured a glass of white wine for Sookie before pouring himself a glass of TruBlood.

"To new beginnings" Bill lifted up his glass for a toast.

"New beginnings" Sookie touched the rim of her glass to his and the crystal sang, they both smiled and took a sip. They started eating, or rather, Sookie started eating and Bill just sat there watching her.

"I thought you don't like watching us eat?" Sookie said after a while.

"Sookie, you know that I make an exception for you just to be alone with you." Bill said with a smile.

After Sookie had finished eating, they proceeded to the living room. Bill made a quick trip to his office to grab his present. When he got back to the living room, he sat down beside Sookie on the sofa.

"You first." Sookie leaned forward eagerly. She was anxious to see his reaction. Bill carefully tore open the wrapping paper. When he saw his present, Bill just stared at it, clearly surprised. Sookie looked at Bill worriedly.

"I found it in a bookstore. I didn't know whether you'd like it or not. I hope you do, but if you don't, well…" Sookie trailed off. What if he didn't like her present? What if it reminded him of the bad time when he was in the war? Sookie mentally berated herself. What was she thinking?

"Sookie, this is quite unexpected." Bill looked at Sookie and then back at his present.

"Do you like it?" Sookie asked uncertainly.

"Yes, I do. I like it very much. Thank you." Bill beamed at her. "Your turn. Open your present. I hope you will like it." Bill told her.

Sookie tore open the wrapping paper and found a framed picture. It was a black and white picture of a group of men standing in front of a house. It took her a few seconds to recognize the house.

"Is this…?" Sookie squint her eyes to have a better look at the picture. The picture was very old and the image was faded and a little grainy.

"I found this picture in the storage when I was remodeling this house. I remember this picture was taken shortly after we had finished building the Stackhouse house. That's Jonas Stackhouse." Bill pointed at one of the men in the picture. Sookie looked closely at Jonas.

"Whoa! Grandpa Earl did look like him!" Sookie exclaimed. Sookie's eyes caught on a handsome young man grinning widely at the camera. He looked very familiar.

"Is this you?" Sookie turned to Bill.

"Yes." Bill nodded. Sookie looked back at the picture. Her finger traced his face.

"You looked so young… How old were you?" Sookie asked curiously.

"I was 16 years of age when that picture was taken in 1851." Bill said somewhat shyly.

"Wow!" Sookie looked at his picture in fascination.

"Do you like your present?" Bill asked her after a few moments of silence. Sookie smiled at him widely and nodded.

"Yes. I like it. Thank you, Bill. I'm sure that Gran would have been tickled pink to have seen this picture." Sookie got very still before saying, "Bill, do you think you can help me get the Stackhouse house back from Eric?"

"I did try to convince him to sell the house to me, but as expected, he refused. This is not something that I can force him to do, although he's one of my subjects. If we are going to do this, we have to find another way. I'll have my lawyers start looking for anything they can find to help us." Bill told her.

"I'll talk to him. Maybe I can convince him to give it back to me… Oh, who am I kidding? He won't give it back to me and even if I somehow manage to convince him to sell it to me, I'm sure he will set an unreasonably high price." Sookie huffed in frustration.

"You don't need to worry about the money. If you manage to convince him to sell it to you, I can help you with the money. The problem is, how are you going to convince him?" Bill asked her.

"I don't know. But if I do, I can't take money from you, besides he'd know you helped and he could change his mind again. I'll come up with the money. Somehow. But I need to talk to him. I want my house back." Sookie said with steely determination.

"You can try. But Sookie, if you do talk to him, it would be best if you didn't tell him about us. He will just fight you that much harder." Bill quietly let go of the money matter for the time being. He knew that pushing it would only lead to an argument and he certainly didn't want that, not on their first date!

"Do you think that would really be better?" Sookie asked in confusion.

"If he knows, he will know that I will somehow play a part in helping you get the house back. He will only make it more difficult for you." Bill explained. Sookie looked thoughtful.

"You're right. Do you have any suggestion how to convince him?" Sookie asked Bill.

For the next couple of hours, Bill and Sookie discussed ways to convince Eric to return the house to Sookie, or at least to sell it. In the end, they decided that Sookie would go and talk to Eric tomorrow night and ask him outright to return the house to her.

Sookie yawned and Bill decided that they'd had enough discussion for tonight.

"You should go home and get some rest." Bill suggested.

"I'm fine." Sookie dismissed his concern, but she yawned again. Bill looked at her pointedly. "Maybe I should be going." Sookie smiled at Bill sheepishly. She had to admit that she did feel tired.

"Do you have to work tomorrow?" Bill asked.

"Nope. Sam gave everyone the day off tomorrow. A Christmas present from him, he said." Sookie said. She was starting to get sleepy.

"Come, I'll walk you home." Bill stood up and offered her his hand. Sookie took it and Bill helped her to her feet.

Their walk across the cemetery was quiet, mostly because Sookie was too tired to talk. By the time they reached the front lawn of Sookie's house, Sookie was leaning on Bill with his arm wrapped protectively around her shoulders. They reached her front door and Sookie unlocked the door.

Bill held the door open for her and leaned down to kiss her tenderly and sweetly. "Good night, Sookie. And Merry Christmas." Bill whispered to her.

"Merry Christmas, Bill." Sookie smiled at him sleepily. Sookie entered the house and locked the door before dragging herself upstairs. She brushed her teeth, washed her face, and slipped into her PJs. Sookie fell onto her bed, feeling joyful and content, his sweet kiss still filled her with warmth and within minutes, she was fast asleep, dreaming of Bill and their future together.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Sookie pulled into the parking lot of Fangtasia. All day, she had been thinking about what to say to Eric in order to convince him to give her house back to her or, at the very least, to sell it. She decided that she would just ask him outright and see how it would go from there. She was under no illusion that this was going to be easy. But Sookie was determined to try her best.

Sookie took a deep breath, opened the car door, and stepped out. She was quite surprised to see the line at the entrance. Apparently, a lot of people still found vampires fascinating despite all of the protests against vampires in the past year or so. Sookie walked toward the main entrance and saw Pam standing at the door. Sookie noticed that instead of her usual black leather outfit, Pam was wearing a red halter top and tight green mini skirt that left nothing much to the imagination. The halter top showed impressive cleavage and a red Santa hat sat on top of her head. Her look was completed by a pair of bright red pumps. Sookie thought she looked ridiculous and wondered if Pam felt humiliated being seen in public wearing such outfit. As Sookie walked up to the entrance, Pam spotted her.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Pam snapped at her, Pam's bored expression turned into scalding anger.

"Hi, Pam. I need to see Eric." Sookie forced a grin on her face.

"Eric is busy." Pam said curtly.

"I can wait. The night is still quite young." Sookie told her. Pam glared at her, but Sookie didn't back down. "I prefer to wait inside though, if you don't mind, it's a little cold out here." Sookie said pleasantly.

"Why would I let you inside?" Pam's voice was laced with venom. Sookie was pretty sure if not for the number of people around them; Pam would have ripped her throat out.

"Pam, I understand why you're angry with me…" Sookie started, but she was cut off by the vampire.

"Angry? I'm not angry with you. I'm sick of you." Pam looked at Sookie with a mixed expression of disgust and annoyance.

"Alright, so you're sick of me, I get it, but I still need to see Eric." Sookie said calmly. "Pam, I know that Eric has treated you unfairly…" Sookie didn't get the chance to finish her sentence as Pam's fangs dropped. A few people who were standing the closest to them took a step back. It was one thing to go to a vampire bar, it was quite another to see a real angry vampire! The cell phone cameras were clicking away like mad.

"Unfairly? Do you have any idea of what you're talking about? Eric never treated me that way! Never! This is all because of you!" Pam yelled at Sookie.

"Look, I'm sorry, okay? I never meant to hurt you, or anyone else. I'm just trying to fix it. That's why I'm here. I need to talk to Eric to put an end to this whole mess. Just let me in." Sookie said. To her surprise, Pam laughed!

"Fix it? What can you possibly do to fix this? Are you going to sleep with him and use your fairy charms on him?" Pam mocked her. Sookie was starting to have a hard time ignoring her.

"No! I'm not going to sleep with Eric. I just want to talk! For Pete's sake! Why can't you understand that?"

"Fine, let's go inside and see how you are going to fix this." Pam turned around and walked inside. Sookie stood there, shaking her head slightly before following Pam inside.

Fangtasia was filled with people and vampires. Sookie glanced around and saw that the interior of the club had been decorated with various bright and sparkling Christmas ornaments. However, Sookie didn't feel any warmth or welcoming festivity that was supposed to be created by those decorations. Sookie saw Eric sitting on his throne in the middle of the room with a half-naked woman on his lap. It looked like the woman was trying to impress him by giving him a lap dance. Eric was looking at the woman hungrily. Sookie expected herself to be annoyed or even jealous, but, she didn't. At that moment Sookie knew the absolute truth about her feelings for Eric, it was simple really, she had none!

Pam approached Eric and whispered something in his ear. Eric looked surprised and his eyes darted toward Sookie's direction. When he saw Sookie, he immediately pushed the woman aside. She fell down to the floor, but Eric barely paid her any attention. He strutted across the room toward Sookie with a smirk fixed on his face. Pam dutifully followed behind him.

"You shouldn't have pushed her like that. You might have hurt her." Sookie commented disapprovingly when Eric was standing right in front of her.

"Don't worry about her. She's nothing." Eric said casually.

"It looked like you were enjoying the show she was putting on for you." Sookie said.

"Are you jealous?" Eric raised his eyebrows with a smug expression on his face.

"No, actually, I just think it's terrible of you to treat her like that." Sookie said coolly. "I need to talk to you." Sookie continued.

"Let's go to my office then. Pam, you may return to your post." Eric ordered Pam.

"No, Pam is coming with us." Sookie said, to Eric's surprise. He looked at Sookie and then at Pam before shrugging his shoulders. Without saying anything else, Eric turned and started walking toward his office. Pam and Sookie trailed behind him.

When they got to Eric's office, Eric moved to take something from his desk's drawer.

"You're just in time. I was about to go and pay you a visit to give you this." Eric straightened up and held out his hand. There was a flat, red leather box in his hand. He walked over to Sookie and held it out to her.

"What's this?" Sookie suspiciously eyed the box before taking it from Eric. She opened it and saw stunning diamond necklace sitting snugly on the black velvet cushion. Her eyes widened in surprise, the center stone alone had to be two karats… surrounded by a waterfall effect that had more diamonds than she could count. It had to have cost at least twenty thousand dollars, if not more.

"That's your Christmas present. I know that humans do this sort of thing to celebrate." Eric seemed to be satisfied upon seeing her reaction. But his satisfaction didn't last long. Sookie gently closed the box and handed it back to him.

"Thank you, Eric, but I can't take this." Sookie said politely.

"Why not? I thought this is what you humans do during Christmas." Eric asked, a little bit confused.

"Yes, but I can't accept this Eric." Sookie said trying desperately to keep her composure.

"Is this not good enough for you?" Eric asked.

"She's getting greedy now." Pam commented. Eric glared at her.

"It's a very beautiful necklace, Eric, but I can't accept it." Sookie tried to explain.

"What do you want then? What kind of gift can you 'accept'? Eric asked her. Sookie saw her opportunity and she decided to jump right into it.

"If you really want to give me something why don't you give my house back?" Sookie asked cautiously. Eric and Pam looked at her in surprise.

"Your house? I bought that house. It's mine now. Why would I want to give it back to you?" Eric asked Sookie.

"Eric, that house has been with my family for generations. That house means a lot to me. I understand that you bought it, so it wouldn't be fair for you to just give the house back to me. So, I'm willing to pay for it." Sookie kept her voice as neutral and non-confrontational as she could manage.

"And where will you get the money from?" Eric asked Sookie insultingly.

"I have my own saving and besides, Jason still has the money that you paid him when you bought the house." Sookie hoped Jason hadn't spent the money. Sookie knew by just the look in Eric's eyes that Bill was right, so she didn't say a word about Bill. She could see that it would set Eric off and make this even more difficult than it already was.

Eric seemed to consider this. After a few moments, his face broke into a smile.

"Sookie, let me give you a simple solution, let's get back together and we can share the house. We can both own the house. What do you think? You don't need to pay me for anything." Eric said, happy with his self-satisfied solution.

"No, Eric. I don't want that either. Just name your price." Sookie was starting to lose patience now, but she was determined not to lose control.

"There's no price because I'm not selling the house. Sookie, think about it, once we get back together, that can be our home." Eric insisted. Sookie sighed. Eric could be very stubborn.

"We're not getting back together, Eric. Not now, not ever." Sookie declared firmly. Pam looked at her doubtfully, but Sookie ignored her.

"You're mine, Sookie." Eric growled menacingly as he took a step forward.

"I'm not yours. I do not belong to anyone." Sookie said slowly, enunciating every word, like she was talking to a five year old. "How many times do I have to tell you that? You can't be that thick!" Sookie resisted the urge to stomp her feet on the ground.

"What about those wonderful days? Don't tell me that you didn't feel anything." Eric said pigheadedly.

"I've told you, I was heartbroken and you were under a spell. You weren't yourself. Besides, there was a blood bond between us. What we had… I'll never forget that. But, it's over now." Sookie sighed and took a step closer to Eric. She touched his arm lightly, "Eric, you deserve someone who can love you as much as you love her. But that person is not me." Sookie said softly. Out of the corner of her eye, Sookie could see Pam was confused, but Sookie could see the hope there too.

"Sookie, I love you and I know that you love me too. You're just not aware of it. I'm not the same Eric that you knew. I've changed. I can prove it." Eric pleaded. He couldn't lose her. He had worked so hard to get her. He wasn't going to just let her walk away. She was his. He had to have her.

"Then let me have my house back. If you truly care for me, please give me the house back." Sookie didn't know if it would work, but she was willing to try anything now. 

"No. You will never get it back until you agree to be mine." Eric proclaimed.

"I told you… Argh! Fine! You can keep the house, but you can't force me to do anything, Eric. I'm moving out." Sookie huffed in annoyance, her self-control was fading fast. Pam stood quietly in the background. Eric looked intently at Sookie for a few seconds before stepping back.

"Is that all you've got? Very well, two can play this game, Sookie. Let's see if you can stay away from the house and me." Eric mocked her. Given Sookie's attachment to the house, Eric was absolutely convinced she wouldn't be able to stay away for long. He would let her have her way, for now. If she wanted to play this game, he was ready to play it too. What he didn't know was that there were more than two players in their game.

"I'm done here. Good bye!" Sookie turned around and stormed out from the office, and ran straight into Eric. Damn, she hated when they did that!

"Not so fast…" Eric smirked at her.

"Get out of my way!" Sookie glared him. She knew better than to try to step around him. She wasn't going to play that game.

"So, have you met her, Sookie?" Eric asked her casually.

"I don't know who you're talking about." Sookie continued to glare at Eric, much to his amusement.

"Rachel. You know... Bill's new girlfriend. You still remember what I told you, don't you?" Eric smirked at her.

"That's irrelevant, and has nothing to do with this!" Sookie frowned. Eric's smile got even bigger. He stepped aside to let her pass and Sookie quickly walked around him.

"Sooner or later you'll be mine, Sookie. Bill doesn't care about you and you'll realize that I'm the only one who does. Oh, and Merry Christmas" Eric told her cheerfully as she reached the doorway. Sookie ignored him and made her way across the club to the exit.

Sookie walked to her car, fuming but secretly proud of her of her self-control. Eric always had a way to get under her skin. She got into her car and started the engine. Sookie drove back to Bon Temps, making sure that she wasn't being followed. After all, one couldn't be too careful when dealing with Eric Northman. She arrived in Bon Temps in record time. Sookie parked her car in her driveway and when she got out of the car, Tara was waiting for her at the door.

"Sook how was it? Did you get the house back?" Tara greeted her anxiously.

"Nope. We're moving out. Have you finished packing?" They stepped inside the house. They had spent all afternoon packing because they knew they would move out eventually. But Sookie had wanted to try to talk to Eric anyway.

"Yeah…" Tara nodded.

"Great! Get your things and go to Lafayette's." Sookie told Tara.

"What about you?" Tara looked at Sookie worriedly.

"Don't worry about me. I'm going to Jason's place." Sookie reassured Tara. Sookie would have to call Jason and explain the whole thing later. She just hoped that he wouldn't mind.

"What about your things? You can't possibly move everything to Jason's place." The girls looked around. There were suitcases and boxes in various sizes scattered around the living room. Sookie didn't have a lot of things. But she packed all of her clothes and her Gran's valuables, even so, there was far too much for her little car, not to mention the furniture. She didn't think Eric would damage her things but she wouldn't put it past him either.

"I'm gonna ask Bill if I could keep them at his place." Sookie took out her cell phone and dialed Bill's private number.

"Sookie, how did it go?" Bill asked her curiously. He had discussed this matter with Nick and they were working to find anything that might help them get the house back, but things would have been much easier if Sookie had been able to convince Eric to return it or sell it.

"Nope, he's as stubborn as always. I'm going to go stay at Jason's place. But I need a place to put most of my things. Can I put them at your place for the time being?" Sookie asked Bill.

"Of course. I'll be right there." Bill hung up. Tara raised her eyebrows questioningly.

"Bill will be here soon to help." Sookie answered Tara's silent question.

"What about Jason? Have you called him?" Tara asked before grabbing her phone to call for a taxi. Sookie called Jason.

"Hey Sook! Merry Christmas, sis!" Jason answered her call joyfully.

"Merry Christmas!" Sookie greeted him back before getting to her point. "Jason, can you do me a favor? I need a place to stay. Can I stay at your place?"

"What? Yeah, sure, come on over. But, why do you need a place? What happened to yours? Are you alright?" Jason sounded worried.

"Nothing. I'm fine." Sookie heard cars pulling in at the driveway. Sookie peeked through the window and saw Bill and Nick getting out of a black BMW. Two large black trucks parked behind the BMW and a small army of men, all vampires, were hopping out from the vehicles. "Jason, I've got to go. I'll tell you all about it when I get there, ok?" Sookie hung up and opened the front door.

Sookie stepped out to her front porch to greet her boyfriend. Bill planted a soft kiss on her forehead. After a moment or two, they pulled away from each other and Sookie turned to greet Nick.

"Hi Nick!" Sookie nodded toward the other vampire.

"Hello, Sookie. Nice to see you again. Merry Christmas, by the way." Nick smiled at her warmly.

"Merry Christmas! Where's Rachel?" Sookie looked behind the two men.

"She couldn't make it. She had some last minute work, but she said to tell you hello." Nick told her.

"Which ones of these that you want to take with you?" Bill asked Sookie.

"Oh, just these there." Sookie pointed to four pink suitcases "The rest are mostly Gran's things and stuff like that." Bill nodded and instructed the guards to put her bags inside his car and the rest of her things into the trucks. Sookie stood in disbelief as her boxes and furniture practically flew out of the house!

"I will drive you to Jason's." Bill informed Sookie.

"What about my car? I can't leave it here." Sookie gestured at her yellow car.

"I'll have someone to drive it to Jason's place by morning." Bill assured her.

"Sookie, the taxi will be here…" Tara trailed off upon seeing Bill and his guards.

"Good evening, Tara." Bill nodded to Tara politely.

"Hi." Tara said curtly. Just because Sookie and Bill had got back together, that didn't mean that Tara had to be pleasant toward him. She did try to be civil, though, for Sookie.

"Where are you going to stay?" Bill asked Tara curiously. He was wondering if Tara would be moving in with Jason as well.

"I'm goin' to Lafayette's." Tara told him briefly.

"I see. Do you need a ride? We can drop you off on our way to Jason's house." Bill offered her. He was trying to be polite, despite Tara's attitude toward him because he knew that Tara was one of Sookie's closest friends.

"No. I called a taxi. It'll be here in soon." Tara declined his offer. When the taxi arrived, Tara hopped in and left, promising Sookie that she would call her tomorrow.

Ten minutes later, Sookie and Bill stood in the middle of the living room and looked around. It was empty, save for a few things that belong to Eric.

"I never thought that I would leave here, especially not like this." Sookie sighed sadly.

"It's only temporary. You will get the house back soon." Bill took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"I hope so…" Sookie whispered. Bill pulled her into a hug and Sookie wrapped her arms tightly around him. Sookie convinced herself that she would get the house back. She really didn't want to think about the alternatives.

"Sookie, if you don't want to move out, maybe we can…" Bill tried to suggest something, but Sookie pulled away slightly and looked up at him.

"No, Bill. I need to show Eric that he might have the house, but he doesn't 'have' me. I need to do this and if…" Sookie's words hitched slightly, "If we can't get the house back, then I'll find another place to live." Sookie's voice wavered slightly. The prospect of having to find another place saddened her terribly. She was hoping that it wouldn't come down to that.

"We will get the house back, Sookie. I promise you." Bill pulled her back into his arms and dropped a kiss on top of her head. Sookie buried her face in his shirt, seeking solace that only he could give.

"I know." Sookie said and nodded. Her voice was muffled by his shirt. They stood there for a few moments; Bill offering her comfort and Sookie basking in the comfort that he offered.

"Your Majesty, we are ready to leave." Nick said from behind them. They pulled away from each other and turned to Nick. Bill nodded and, with his arm still wrapped around Sookie, led her outside.

"Thanks for your help, Nick. I really appreciate it." Sookie told Nick as they made their way to the front lawn.

"I'm happy to help. His Majesty explained the situation and you needn't worry, Sookie. We are working on getting your house back." Nick told her pleasantly.

"Thank you. Oh, please send my regards to Rachel. Tell her I say Merry Christmas." Sookie said. Nick nodded and gave her a smile before getting into one of the trucks.

Sookie and Bill walked to Bill's car and he opened the passenger door for her. Sookie paused and looked at the house that held so many memories, her whole life essentially. Tears welled in her eyes, she didn't know how long it would take, but Sookie hoped for the best. Bill helped Sookie to get inside the car and then talked to Nick briefly before getting into the driver's seat. Bill started the engine and they drove away.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

By the time Bill parked his car behind Jason's pickup truck, it was already ten o'clock in the evening. Bill retrieved Sookie's bags from the trunk and they walked to the front door, each dragging two suitcases behind them. Sookie rang the bell and a few seconds later, Jason opened the door. Jason was surprised to see Bill standing there with Sookie, four pink suitcases scattered around them.

"Hey, Jason." Sookie greeted him with a smile.

"Hey, Sook. Bill." Jason nodded toward Bill. His expression showed his confusion.

"Jason." Bill nodded to him.

"May we come in?" Sookie asked Jason when her brother just stood there staring at them.

"Oh, sure." Jason stepped aside to make way for them, but they didn't move. Sookie gave Jason a pointed look.

"What? Oh… Bill, would you like to come in?" Jason issued his invitation.

"Yes." Bill nodded and gestured to Sookie to enter first before following her inside. Jason helped Bill to carry Sookie's bags inside before closing the door.

"Where's Jessica?" Sookie looked around curiously. Bill and Jason set down her bags just inside the door.

"She's, uh… showering." Jason gulped, glancing nervously at Bill's direction.

"Bill, is that you?" Jessica peeked around the hallway door. Upon seeing her maker, she rushed out to greet him. "Merry Christmas!" Jessica hugged Bill, she was dressed and her hair combed, but still wet.

"Merry Christmas, Jessica." Bill hugged her back.

"What are you doing here?" Jessica asked him after they pulled apart.

"I'm escorting Sookie." Bill said. Jess looked around and saw Sookie. A frown appeared on her face.

"Hi Jess. Merry Christmas." Sookie gave Jessica a wave and smiled at her.

"Merry Christmas." Jessica said curtly before looking back at Bill with a question in her eyes.

"Sookie and I have not had an opportunity to tell the two of you, that after much reflection, we are back together." Bill moved to stand beside Sookie and put his arm around her shoulders casually, but yet firmly.

"What?" Jessica was the first one to respond.

"We decided to start over." Bill explained, looking at Jess and Jason steadily, silently challenging them to oppose him.

"After everything that she has done to you, you're giving her another chance?" Jessica glared at Sookie accusingly, earning herself a hard look from her maker.

"Jessica!" Bill chided his child sternly.

"No, it's alright, Bill." Sookie broke free from Bill and approached Jessica. "Jess, I've thought about what you said the other day and you're right, I needed to make a decision and I have. I chose Bill. I know I've made mistakes, lots of them, but I promise you, I will make it up to him. I hope you can understand and give me a chance." Sookie said sincerely.

"Hold on, what do you mean by 'the other day'? Jessica, what did you do?" Bill demanded an answer.

"I…" Jessica's anger quickly seeped away as she tried to find a way to answer Bill without making him angry. She knew that if Bill found out that she had yelled at and threatened Sookie, he would be very angry with her.

"Jessica, I would like to speak with you outside for a moment." Bill said coolly, without any trace of anger in his voice, but the people in the room knew better. Jessica just nodded meekly and followed Bill outside, leaving Sookie and Jason alone in the middle of the living room.

"So sis, you're back with Bill, huh?" Jason led Sookie to the living room and took a seat on the armchair.

"Yes. We've cleared up a few things between us." Sookie sat down on the sofa, facing Jason.

"So, all those talks of not trusting vamps…" Jason trailed off. Sookie sighed.

"Jason, I know that it must be a surprise for you and Jess. But things happen and…" At this point, Sookie stopped talking because Jason held up his hand.

"You don't need to explain anything. I'm surprised, alright, but if you're happy, then I'm happy too, sis. Just make sure that you don't screw up again. I don't know if I can stop Jess from killing you if you hurt Bill again." Jason said, with a grin. Sookie smiled back and agreed with him.

"You don't need to worry about that. I am not gonna screw this up. I'm done messing around." Sookie assured him. Jason nodded and gave her a big smile. For the next minute or so, they just sat there, lost in their own thoughts.

"Hey Sook, both of us are dating vamps now. Do you think maybe we can, I don't know, have a double date or something?" Jason suddenly said.

"I don't know Jason. We can ask them later. That'll be cool, huh?" Sookie laughed and Jason joined her.

Meanwhile outside, Bill and Jessica were sitting silently at the porch. Jessica sat with her hands folded on her lap and Bill just stared ahead of him. Jessica had told him about what happened that night at Sookie's place and Bill hadn't said anything yet.

"Bill, please say something. I know you're mad, but I was just trying to… help. She hurt you and I couldn't just let her..." Jessica finally worked up the courage to speak to her maker. Bill sighed and turned to look at Jessica.

"Jessica, I believe that you had good intentions, but you need to understand that what you did was wrong. I understand why you did it, but you cannot go and threaten somebody just because you are annoyed with them, especially in times like these. If it got out, you could be in serious trouble. Trouble even I would have difficulty helping you with." Bill chided her gently. He needed to make her understand. "Besides, did I not tell you to stay away from this matter?" Bill asked.

"Yes…" Jessica looked like a child whose hands were caught in the cookie jar.

"Do you understand that ignoring my order as your maker is absolutely forbidden?" Bill asked calmly, looking at Jessica's eyes.

"Yes…" Jessica mumbled. Bill looked at her intently and after a few moments, he laid a hand on her arm. Jessica looked at him.

"Jessica, do you want to meet the true death?"

Jessica stared at him, horrified, shaking her head no. "I need you to understand that what happens between me and Sookie are our own problems and I want you to stay out of it." Bill told Jessica firmly.

"I know… But I couldn't help it." Jessica muttered. She felt guilty, not because of what she did, but because she had disobeyed her maker and disappointed him.

"Can you promise me that this kind of thing will not happen again in the future? And I'm not just talking about Sookie. My dear, you mean a great deal to me and I do not want to have to discipline you just because you cannot control yourself." Bill's tone and words finally made Jessica understand.

"I'm sorry, Bill." Jessica apologized.

"And…" Bill prompted.

"And I promise it won't happen again." Jessica promised him. Bill smiled at her and patted her hand affectionately.

"But, what if she hurts you again?" Jessica frowned.

"Then, can I count on you to be there for me?" Bill smiled down at her.

"Always…" Jessica said sincerely as she hugged his arm and leaned her head on Bill's shoulder. Bill planted a soft kiss on her hair.

"Then that will be the only thing I'll need from you. Now, let's go inside." Bill said. They stood up and walked into the house.

When Bill and Jessica stepped into the living room, Sookie and Jason immediately got up from their seats. Jessica walked toward Sookie.

"Sookie, I'm sorry for yelling at you. I shouldn't have done that." Jessica said to Sookie, much to everyone's surprise. For a moment, Sookie just stood there. She certainly didn't expect Jessica to apologize to her. Sookie glanced at Bill, but he just shrugged his shoulders slightly.

"Jess, I… You don't need to apologize to me. You did what you did because you care for Bill. If anything, I should be the one apologizing to you. And I also want to thank you. If it wasn't for you, I'd probably be sitting home alone; as stubborn as a rock. So, thank you and I'm sorry. Like I said earlier, please give me a chance. I'll make it up to Bill and you too." Sookie said. Jessica was taken aback. But before she could say anything, Sookie held out her hand, "Forgive me?"

For a second or two, Jessica just stared at Sookie's proffered hand before she took it. The two smiled at each other. Both knew that they're not friends yet, but they're both willing to work on it.

"I'm so glad for you two…" Jason suddenly chimed in as he put his arms around their shoulders. "Now, about that double date…"

"Jason!" Both Sookie and Jessica glared at him in exasperation.

"Okay, okay… Chill out, ladies." Jason held out his hands in surrender and Bill's amused chuckle could be heard in the background.

*****

"So, you need to stay here until you can get your house back?" Jessica asked Sookie half an hour later. They're all sitting in the living room. Bill and Sookie sat side by side on the loveseat, Jessica sat on the armchair and Jason had dragged a chair from the dining room and sat near her. Sookie had told them about what what was happening with the house.

"Yes." Sookie nodded.

"How are you gonna get it back?" Jason asked. Sookie turned to look at Bill before looking back at Jason.

"I don't know. I don't even know if I'm gonna get it back." Sookie said.

"I have others working on every possible solution, but it might take some time. In the meantime, Sookie needs to stay at a human's house, for safety reasons." Bill said.

"Safety reasons? How much danger is she in?" Jason asked worriedly.

"Nothing immediate, but we are taking precautions. Eric will not just sit back and do nothing. By staying at a human's house, Eric will not be able to harass her." Bill explained. Jason sighed in relief.

"What if you can't get it back?" Jessica piped up.

"Then… Then I'll have to find another place to stay." Sookie said with sadness lacing her voice. They all looked at her in silence.

Jason couldn't meet Sookie's eyes, "I'm so sorry Sook… this is all my fault."

"Jason," Sookie said, her voice gentle, "Look at me." When he looked up she said, "It isn't your fault, it's just the way things happened, let's not worry about the past anymore, it's the future that's important." They smiled at each other.

Suddenly, Bill's cell phone rang. He excused himself and left the room. A few minutes later, he came back.

"I have to go now. Will you be alright?" Bill looked at Sookie.

"I'll be fine, Bill. Go. Don't worry about me." Sookie stood up and walked towards Bill. Bill said goodbye to Jason and Jessica and Sookie walked with him to the front door.

"Sookie, please be careful. Promise me that you will not step out of this house after sunset or before sunrise." Bill held her by her shoulders and looked deeply into her eyes.

"I promise. Now, go." Sookie gave him a reassuring smile and a slight playful push.

"Good night, sweetheart, I will see you tomorrow." Bill leaned forward to give her a quick, but gentle kiss. "Get inside." He told her.

"Night, Bill. I'll see you tomorrow." Sookie turned and entered the house. Bill waited until she closed the door before walking toward his car. A few seconds later, Bill was on his way back to his mansion.

*****

Eric stepped into the house and looked around in disbelief. The house was completely bare, except for some furniture here and there, the pieces that he bought. There's no trace of Sookie's belongings, let alone Sookie herself. He couldn't believe that Sookie actually followed through with her threat.

"I've underestimated her." Eric muttered to himself. He inhaled deeply and smelled familiar scents.

"Bill Compton …" Eric growled angrily as he recognized Bill's scent all over the room and also those of his vampire guards. Eric made his way out of the house and slammed the door in anger. He considered going across the cemetery and confronting Bill, but he thought better of it. Confronting a King openly on his own turf wasn't a good idea. He needed a plan. With a determination fueled by anger, Eric flew back to Fangtasia, his mind busy.

*****

Jessica and Jason helped Sookie settle into the guest bedroom.

"Thanks, guys. I really appreciate it." Sookie told them once all of her things were inside the room.

"No problem, sis. If you need anything just let me know." Jason patted Sookie's shoulder.

"Are you sure you don't need any help unpacking?" Jessica asked her, looking around at the suitcases.

"No, I'll be fine." Sookie smiled at them reassuringly. Jason and Jessica left the room and Sookie began unpacking. One plus to moving in with a guy, meant there was always plenty of closet space and the dressers were empty! She put her clothes away, finishing around midnight. She decided to take a quick shower before heading to bed. An hour later, Sookie was fast asleep.

When Sookie woke up in the morning, she was disoriented by her unfamiliar surroundings. It took her a few seconds to remember the previous night's events. Sookie slipped into her Merlotte's uniform, glad she showered the night before, and went to the dining room. She started the coffee machine and opened the fridge. Sookie wasn't surprised when she couldn't find anything edible in the fridge.

'Typical Jason…' Sookie thought. She made a mental note to go to the store to do some grocery shopping later after work. In the meantime, she just had to make use of what was there, which wasn't much. Sookie grabbed the milk and a box of cereal. After making sure that the milk hadn't gone bad, she poured it into a bowl, put in the cereal, and grabbed a cup of coffee. She then sat down to eat her breakfast.

"Morning…" Jason's sleepy voice came through the doorway.

"Morning, Jason." Sookie looked at him. Jason's hair was sticking up to all directions and he'd not even bathed yet. "Cereal? It's all I can find." Sookie offered. Jason yawned widely and gave Sookie a sheepish smile, the one that made girls swoon all over him.

"Oh yeah, I been meaning to pick some stuff up." Jason said as he sat down in front of Sookie and prepared a bowl of cereal for himself.

"Where's Jessica sleeping?" Sookie asked curiously.

"In the basement. I put some boards up to cover the little window down there. It's light tight now." Jason said.

"Oh, the one that we used to peek outside whenever we played hide and seek?" Sookie asked excitedly.

"Yup, that's the one." Jason nodded. For the next few minutes, the two chatted about some of their favorite childhood games until Sookie needed to leave for work.

"Jason, I'll drop by the store to buy some groceries later. Do you need anything specific?" Sookie asked as she put her bowl in the sink.

"Thanks, sis. Can you grab some eggs, milk, you know, the usual… Oh, and some beers." Jason said through a mouthful of cereal. "You might want to get some TruBlood for Bill too. I imagine he will be here often enough."

"Sure thing." Sookie picked up her purse from the table.

"By the way, your car is outside. One of Bill's men dropped it off last night after you went to bed. The key is in the little bowl by the door." Jason informed Sookie. She glanced through the window and sure enough, her yellow car was parked on the driveway.

"See you later, Jason!" Sookie grabbed her car key and left for work.

When Sookie arrived at Merlotte's, Sam immediately questioned her.

"Sook, why didn't you say anything?" Sam asked her.

"What are you talking about?" Sookie asked Sam confusedly.

"Tara came in to drop off something this morning and told me that she's staying with Lafayette now and you've moved out." Sam said, wiping the counter with a rag.

"Oh… Did she tell you anything else?" Sookie asked. If Tara told Sam about Bill, then Sookie was going to be pissed off.

"Nah, just that you're staying with Jason for the time being. Why? Is there something else?" Sam asked Sookie curiously.

"Nothing. Yeah, I moved in with Jason." Sookie took the box containing the salt shakers and napkins, and started to walk away. But apparently, Sam wasn't done yet.

"So, why do I feel like I'm missing something here? Sook, we're friends, right?" Sam asked. Sookie turned around and saw Sam leaning against the counter, looking at her, carefully studying her.

"Of course we are, Sam. You don't even need to ask. But really, I'm fine." Sookie gave Sam what she hoped was a reassuring smile.

"Then why did you move out? You've been living in that house your entire life, Sook." Sam pressed on.

"It's just a little legal misunderstanding, Sam. I'm working on it right now." Sookie said.

"Sook, you know that I care about you. If you get into any trouble, I'll be happy to help." Sam said sincerely.

"I know, Sam. But don't worry. It's really nothing." Sookie smiled brightly and quickly walked toward the rows of tables to start her prep work. Sookie wasn't ready to talk to Sam just yet. She knew that Sam cared for her, but she felt that ever since she came back, she and Sam had been drifting apart.

Sam sighed as he watched Sookie moving around the bar, doing her prep work. He knew something was up. Sookie's avoidance was a giveaway, but he didn't know what else was happening. When Tara told him that Sookie had moved out, Sam had asked her why, but Tara had refused to answer, saying that he should ask Sookie directly. Sam could feel a distance between himself and Sookie and he didn't like it. But, there's nothing that he could do about it. Sam sighed warily and went to the back to get some ice.

Soon, people started drifting in for lunch at Merlotte's. Sookie moved from table to table swiftly, delivering food and drinks. She busied herself in order to keep her mind off the problem at hand. She knew that there's nothing that she could do about it now and thinking about it only made her sadder.

'What a disaster! Damn Bellefleur lunatic! She better hope that he'll work with someone else from our firm!' Sookie heard George's thoughts as she put his burger in front of him.

"Hi George. Bad day?" Sookie asked him.

"You could say that. You know Mr. Bill Compton, right?" George looked up at her, Sookie nodded. "He's hiring the best lawyers from here to Shreveport to help him with a really big case about a house or something, so naturally, I chose my best lawyer, Portia Bellefleur. You know her?" Sookie nodded again.

"Well, last night, we went to Mr. Compton's place to get the details and when Mr. Compton entered the room, suddenly Ms. Bellefleur runs from the room, screaming like she'd seen a ghost or something. I don't know what got into her. I mean, she'd worked for him before and she was fine. I'm meeting him again tonight. I just hope that Mr. Compton is willing to consider another lawyer from our firm. Otherwise, we're screwed. We're talking about big money here. Hell, if it wasn't for the money, we wouldn't even have been there on Christmas day, 'round midnight." George shook his head.

"Well, good luck, George, I'm sure it'll be just fine. Enjoy your meal." Sookie smiled at him warmly.

"Thanks, Sookie." George nodded his thanks and Sookie left him alone, no longer as worried as she'd been before, Bill would come through for her, she just knew it.

The rest of the day was uneventful. Sookie finished up her shift mid-afternoon and went to the store to do some grocery shopping before heading back to Jason's place. She made sure that she arrived before dark. Sookie wasn't sure if Eric knew where she was, but she wasn't taking any chances. Jason was still at work, so Sookie put her purchases in the fridge and went to her room. She heard the shower running in the basement and guessed that Jessica was up. Sookie looked out of the window and realized that it was already dark outside. She went into the kitchen and took her cell phone from her purse.

'Bill, are you coming over?' Sookie texted Bill. She couldn't believe that she was already missing him. A few seconds later, her phone beeped, signaling an incoming text.

'Yes. But I need to take care of a few things first. I'll be there around 10.' Bill replied.

'OK. See you later.' Sookie sent her reply and put her phone down. She walked back to her room and knowing Jess was done, took a shower. When she was washing her hair, a thought occurred to her. She was thinking about what George told her earlier about Portia and it made her curious. Why did Portia behave so strangely? Sookie decided to ask Bill about it later. He probably knew something.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

After a shower, Sookie entered the kitchen and found Jessica sitting at the dinner table, drinking a glass of blood.

"Hi Jess! Sleep well?" Sookie gave Jessica a tentative smile. She didn't know if Jessica had really forgiven her, so Sookie decided to follow Jessica's cues.

"Yeah. How's your day?" Jessica greeted Sookie with a small smile.

"It was ok." Sookie grabbed the sweet tea from the fridge and poured herself a glass.

"So, what made you choose Bill?" Jessica asked nonchalantly, but Sookie saw right through it. Apparently, there's still some unfinished business between them.

"Because I love him." Sookie said simply as she sat down in front of Jessica.

"Do you?" Jessica gave Sookie a doubtful look.

"I do. Jess, you're probably still angry with me and that's ok. I understand. I know you did what you did because care a great deal for Bill. After you guys left that night, I really thought about what you said and I realized how stubborn I was being." Sookie took a deep breath. If she ever hoped to befriend Jessica, she might as well tell her everything.

"Bill is my first in so many ways. He's my first love, my first real boyfriend. I trusted him, but then I found out about his real reason for coming to Bon Temps and worse, he wasn't the one who told me. I was crushed. The only person that I thought I could depend on was actually lying to me the whole time. I was so angry. I wanted to hate Bill because of what he did, but I can't. I can't bring myself to hate him. No matter how much I tried to deny it, I always know that I've never stopped loving him." Sookie paused.

"I can't tell you where I'd gone to, but for me, it wasn't a year. It was only a few hours, at most. When I came back, Bill has become a King and Eric owns my house. My life, the life that I knew, was turned completely upside down. To make matters worse, there's the whole mess with Eric, the witches, and the blood bond." Sookie looked at Jessica intently.

"I made mistakes, Jess. One of the biggest mistakes of my life was to let myself being influenced by the blood bond and hooking up with Eric. The blood bond played a part in it, but I was a willing participant. At that time, I was so angry and so heartbroken, I wanted to hurt Bill. After the bonds were broken, I kept telling myself that I was confused, but in reality, I was just scared of being hurt." Sookie admitted.

"But he never meant to hurt you." Jessica said.

"I know. You were right, Jess. I was blinded by anger. I refused to see what's really there, until I faced the possibility of losing him. At which point, I looked, really looked, into my heart and realized that I love Bill. But at that time, I thought it was already too late." Sookie took a sip of her tea.

"Why? Bill's never stopped loving you." Jessica asked Sookie.

"Believe it or not, Eric actually helped me to see my real feelings." Sookie said. If she thought about it, it was pretty ironic. Eric was trying to win her back, but instead, he pushed her toward Bill.

"Really? How so?" Jessica asked Sookie curiously.

"I bumped into him and he told me that Bill had found a new girlfriend and then you came and you told me off. Between the two of you, I was forced to face reality. I was jealous because I thought Bill had moved on. I thought I'd lost him forever..." Sookie's sentence was cut by Jessica.

"Hold on, what girlfriend?" Jessica stared at Sookie in bewilderment.

"Rachel. I thought Rachel was Bill's girlfriend." Sookie explained.

"Who is Rachel?" Jessica was getting more and more confused.

"Wait, you've never heard of her?" Jessica shook her head. "She's been staying at Bill's place for a couple of weeks now. She's an old friend of his and a journalist." Sookie told Jessica.

"I haven't been to Bill's for the past few weeks. Last night was the first time I saw him in weeks." Jessica explained. Sookie nodded with understanding.

"Anyway, like I said, I thought I'd lost him and it made me realize that I loved him. I was so relieved when I found out the truth about Rachel. I told myself that I was done messing around. Jessica, I know it's hard for you to understand, but please believe me. I really love Bill." Sookie hoped that Jessica would understand. Jessica kept quiet and thought about what Sookie just told her.

"I believe you." Jessica finally said after a few moments of silence. Jessica could see that Sookie was being sincere in her feelings towards Bill.

"Thank you. It really means a lot to me. I promise you, I won't hurt him again. I'll try my best to make him happy." Sookie smiled at Jessica.

"I know. I saw it last night. It's been a long time since I last saw him that happy." Jessica said. The two women smiled at each other with a new understanding between them. Sookie was relieved that Jessica was willing to understand and Jessica was glad to see that Bill was finally happy. They could feel that the tension between them had disappeared.

They heard the front door opened and a few seconds later, Jason stepped into the dining room.

"Hello, ladies! Oh, I'm so glad to see you both!" Jason grinned at them.

"Hey, Jason! How's work?" Sookie asked him.

"We caught a robbery suspect and got the money back to the store owner. All in all, it was a good day." Jason sat down beside Jessica.

"Great!" Sookie stood up and took her glass, and Jessica's now empty glass, to the sink. Jessica smiled her thanks to Sookie, which she returned. Jason didn't miss that.

"I see you two have made up." Jason commented lightly.

"Yeah, we've talked and we realize that we've no reason to fight." Jessica said. Jason beamed at her and leaned forward to kiss her.

"Good to hear that. Look, I've been thinking about it and I think it'll be great if we all can go out together, all four of us. Hey Sook, you think you can ask Bill?" Jason said, much to the girls' amusement.

"You're still at that double date idea?" Sookie laughed lightly.

"What can I say, a man can hope…" Jason said with a smirk, earning himself a swat on his arm from Jessica.

"What do you want to eat for dinner? I'll cook for both of us." Sookie asked Jason, peering into the fridge.

"Anything will do. Thanks, Sook. I'll go and take a shower first." Jason said and with another quick kiss on Jess' cheek, he left. Sookie started making dinner and Jessica offered to help. Soon, the two of them were busy cooking and chatting.

*****

Eric looked up when he heard a knock on his office door.

"Enter." He said.

The door opened and a man stepped into the office.

"Take a seat." Eric gestured toward the chairs in front of his desk.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Northman?" The man asked.

"I want you to investigate something." Eric laid a photograph on the table. "This is Sookie Stackhouse. I want you to watch her, especially her contact with this man." Eric presented Bill's picture. The man nodded his understanding and took the pictures before he left the office.

*****

Sookie, Jason, and Jess were all sitting in front of the TV when the doorbell rang.

"It's probably Bill. I'll get it." Sookie got up from her seat and headed towards the front door. She opened the door and found Bill standing at the front porch with Rachel.

"Hello, Sookie! Merry Christmas!" Rachel reached out to hug Sookie. Bill stood patiently beside Rachel, watching the exchange with amusement dancing in his eyes.

"Hi Rachel! Merry Christmas to you too! What are you doing here?" Sookie asked her after they pulled apart from each other.

"I'm on my way to Shreveport and Bill needed a ride here. Since I was going to pass this place anyway, so..." Rachel shrugged her shoulders. At this point, Jessica poked her head out from the living room.

"Hi Bill! Oh, who's this?" Jess observed Rachel curiously. Jason stood behind Jess. Rachel smiled a little at them.

"This is Rachel. She is an old friend of mine. Rachel, this is my child, Jessica and her boyfriend, who is also Sookie's brother, Jason." Bill said as a way of introduction.

"Pleased to meet you guys!" Rachel smiled pleasantly at them.

"Hi Rachel! Nice to meet you!" Jessica said cheerfully.

"Nice to meet you!" Jason said at the same time with a smile. They then disappeared back into the living room.

"Would you like to come in?" Sookie asked Rachel.

"No, thanks. I'm just dropping Bill off. I need to get to Shreveport before ten. It's already nine now." Rachel said, checking her watch.

"I see. Alright then, you better hurry. I'll see you around." Sookie said cheerfully.

"Sure. We must have lunch together one of these days." Rachel nodded her head enthusiastically.

"Of course. Just call me and we can set up a day." Sookie said with a laugh.

"It's settled then." Rachel grinned at Sookie. "I have to go now. Bye, guys… Have fun!" Rachel walked back to the car and left. Bill and Sookie both waved at her.

"She looks very excited." Sookie said to Bill as they watched Rachel's car speed away.

"I heard that her article got a lot of positive reviews. She's going to Shreveport for an interview, I think." Bill explained rather absentmindedly. "You looked happy to see her." He looked down at her face.

"Of course. She's my friend." Sookie looked at Bill incredulously.

"Aren't you happy to see me?" Bill asked her with a bright smile.

"Not really..." Sookie said with a straight face, shrugging her shoulders. Bill's smile faltered. "I'm just kidding. Of course I'm happy to see you, silly. I've missed you." Sookie smiled up sweetly at Bill. His smile returned and Sookie's smile got even bigger. Bill leaned forward to kiss her, but suddenly a throat cleared loudly from the inside of the house.

"Are you two gonna come in or are you gonna stand there all night?" Jason asked them with a smirk. Sookie laughed, grabbed Bill's hand and pulled him inside. Bill closed the door behind him.

They walked to the living room.

"I'll get you some TruBlood." Sookie told Bill. He just nodded. "Jess, you want some?" Sookie turned toward the younger vampire.

"Sure, Sook. Thanks." Jess said with a smile. "Take a seat, Bill." Jessica gestured toward the empty armchair. Bill walked to the armchair and sat down. He looked at the TV and saw that Jess was watching a soap opera-like show. He remembered Jessica had told him about the show before, but he couldn't remember the name of it.

Sookie came back a couple of minutes later. Two bottles of TruBlood and two glasses of sweet tea were sitting on the tray that she held. Bill immediately stood up and helped her with the tray. Sookie passed everyone their drinks and Bill put the now empty tray on the coffee table before grabbing his own TruBlood. Sookie sat down beside Jessica because she too, wanted to watch the TV. Bill chose to sit on the dining chair from the previous evening because it was closer to Sookie. Jason plopped down on the armchair that was previously occupied by Bill.

After the show, Sookie and Jess were busy discussing about what happened on the show. The newfound ease between the two wasn't lost on Bill. He was glad that Sookie and Jessica had managed to work on their relationship. Both ladies were the most important people in his life and he was happy that they could get along well.

"I can't believe that he broke up with her!" Jessica exclaimed.

"Yeah, me either. I mean, c'mon… He broke up with her because he's going away and he doesn't want her to wait for him? That's bullshit! If he really loved her, he will find a way to make their relationship work despite the distance." Sookie commented.

"Hey, you know what, you never told me about what actually happened between you two. I mean, one moment you were together, and the next, you broke up." Jason suddenly asked. He tried to make his tone as light as possible, but he couldn't hide the curiosity underneath. They didn't miss it either. They all just stared at him for a few seconds.

"What? Sookie is my sister. I think I have the right to know. Besides, Jess knows about it." Jason said defensively.

Bill and Sookie looked at each other. They seemed to think about it for a moment, before Sookie turned to Jason.

"Jason, before we tell you, can you promise that you will listen to Bill until he's finished his story without interrupting him? And please remember, this happened in the past and Bill and I are okay now." Sookie asked Jason seriously.

"Sure, I can do that." Jason easily agreed to their terms. Sookie looked at Bill and he nodded. Bill then proceeded to tell Jason about Sophie Anne and his true motive for coming to Bon Temps. Sookie and Jess listened attentively. Sookie was actually surprised that while Bill talked about this, she didn't feel upset. She realized that she truly had forgiven Bill and this was just a part of their past.

"You lied to her big time, man! And then you let the Ratts beat her up?" Jason asked in disbelief. He automatically went into his big brother mode.

"Yes, I did. But I never meant to hurt her, Jason." Bill told Jason calmly.

"Jason, Bill lied to me, but in the end, he did it to protect me from Sophie Anne. Besides, it's over. Now, we're happy, together." Sookie reached out to squeeze Bill's hand. Jessica looked at Sookie quietly. Throughout the narration, Jess had been watching Sookie's reaction and she was satisfied with what she witnessed. Any doubt she had about Sookie disappeared when she saw that Sookie sincerely loved Bill. Jason looked thoughtful for a moment and then he seemed to come to a decision.

"Yeah, I can see that. And I'm happy for you too, both of you. You're right, Sook, it's over now." Jason smiled at Bill , which he returned. "So, what happened to that Queen?" Jason asked curiously. Sookie suddenly realized that she didn't know what had happened to the queen either. She turned to look at Bill expectantly.

"I killed her." Bill stated simply. "That's how I became the King of Louisiana." He added. Sookie and Jason looked at Bill in surprise.

"How?" Sookie asked before she could stop herself.

"With some help. I'm sorry. I can't tell you more about it." Bill said.

"Wow! So you killed a Queen and then you became King?" Jason clarified. Bill nodded.

All of a sudden, Sookie's expression changed and Bill noticed it.

"Sookie, are you alright?" Bill reached out to take her hand in his. His eyes were filled with concern. Jason and Jessica also looked at Sookie curiously.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Sookie assured them. "Bill, can I talk to you for a second?" Sookie nervously asked Bill.

"Of course." He readily agreed. Sookie stood up and left the room. Bill followed her. He wasn't sure what happened, but Sookie's sudden change of mood made him worried.

"Sweetheart, what is it? Is something wrong?" Bill immediately asked when they were alone in the room she was using.

Sookie bit her lip uncertainly. She seemed to think hard about what she's going to say.

"I… I never knew how you became a King." Sookie began.

"Sookie…" Bill started, but Sookie held out her hand, "Please, let me say this."

Bill closed his mouth and waited for her to continue.

"Bill, I owe you an apology, and I've owed it to you for a while now…" Sookie took a deep breath and brought her eyes to meet his and they didn't look away. "Bill, I'm sorry about that night when I returned home… I practically threw you off my porch because I was so angry about what I'd just learned. When I found out about Eric owning my house, I came to you expecting you… no… demanding that you do something about it. I stormed into your house…"

Sookie paused and as much as Bill wanted to tell her it was over, he knew she needed to explain and he needed to listen. She continued in almost a whisper, "I was so mad about Eric, and I forgot that I thought I hated you and I charged up the stairs and walked into your room without even thinking about it." She drew in and breathed out a deep breath, "When I knew what I had interrupted, I felt jealous and…"

A lone tear fell down her cheek, "I felt so sad, but I didn't want to be sad so I got mad and acted terribly. If there was one thing I could take back? It would be telling you I didn't want to know about how you became a King. It was nasty and mean of me and I am very sorry." By now, tears were flowing down Sookie's cheeks freely. She was so ashamed of herself. Bill was taken aback. He didn't expect this. For a while, they just stood there, the only noise that could be heard was Sookie's occasional sniffs.

Bill reached over and carefully wiped away her tears and said, "Thank you Sookie, I accept your apology." He cupped the side of her face with his hand and said, "It's in the past now, therefore, it no longer matters."

"But I…" Sookie tried to say something else but Bill placed a finger on her lips.

"Hush, sweetheart. It doesn't matter. Whatever happened between us, it's in the past. Did you not say it yourself, we are happy together now? Isn't that what matter the most?" Bill looked at her tenderly.

"Yes, it is." Sookie nodded and wiped the remaining of her tears. "Thank you." She softly whispered. Bill smiled gently down at her. Sookie gave him a teary smile. She was so grateful that Bill was willing to forgive her in this.

Bill leaned down and kissed her gently. After a few seconds, they pulled apart.

"Let's get back to the living room before they think that we've ditched them on our double date." Bill beamed at her. Sookie couldn't help but giggle. Hand in hand, they walked back into the living room. They spent the rest of the evening chatting and watching a movie. At around 3.30 AM, Sookie was yawning constantly.

"You better go to bed, sis. You look like you're gonna pass out pretty soon." Jason commented lightly.

"Jason is right. You need to go to bed. I should be going too. It's almost dawn." Bill said.

"How are you going to get back?" Sookie asked Bill.

"I will ask someone to pick me up." Bill took his cell phone from his pocket and sent a quick message. "They'll be here in 10 minutes." He informed them.

"That's cool!" Jason said with a hint of awe in his voice.

Around 10 minutes later, they could hear a car pulling up in the driveway.

"Looks like my ride is here. Good night." Bill stood up and said to Jason and Jessica.

"Good night, Bill." Both Jason and Jessica said simultaneously.

"Come on, I'll walk you out." Sookie told her boyfriend. They headed to the front door.

"Will I see you tomorrow?" Sookie asked hopefully as they stood by the door.

"Of course. I will call on you tomorrow. Please get a good rest." Bill leaned down and kissed her good night.

"Good night, Bill. I love you." Sookie smiled up at him sleepily.

"Good night, Sookie. I love you too, my dearest." Bill smiled lovingly at her. He waited until Sookie closed the door before walking toward the car.

None of them noticed an owl perched on a branch tree, watching the whole event carefully. After Bill's car drove off, the owl took its leave as well.

*****

When Bill got home, George was waiting for him. He led him to the office and went around his desk to sit in his chair.

"Your Highness, we've discovered a way for Miss Stackhouse to get her home back in a matter days!" George told him proudly. After the incident with Portia the previous night, George was glad that he still got the job.

"Tell me." Bill said, as he leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers under his chin, his eyes intense.

"We'll have to speak to Mr. Stackhouse to be certain, but as it stands… he had no legal right to sell the home for two reasons, first, it appears that Mr. Stackhouse never had Miss Stackhouse declared legally dead, and secondly, his name has never been on the deed. As such, being a lifelong resident of Bon Temps and the Parrish and, please forgive me sir, the legal possibilities and uncertainties of disappearances that are vampire related, Mr. Stackhouse had no legal right to sell the home. Therefore, the courts erred by allowing him to sell the house. It still belongs to Miss Stackhouse."

"Excellent work. What do we do next?" Bill now sat forward, while outwardly calm, inside he was ecstatic.

"Unfortunately, we must wait until Monday morning to have access to the actual court papers, but if we could talk to Mr. Stackhouse and determine absolutely that we've discovered is in fact, the truth, we can petition the court immediately to void the sale and return ownership to Miss Stackhouse."

Bill glanced at the clock on his desk and saw that dawn was very near, "This is wonderful news, George, but my time is limited at the moment, let's revisit this later tonight shall we?"

"Certainly your Highness, have a pleasant rest." George stood and gave Bill a slight bow of his head, then turned and walked from the office.

Bill debated for a moment as to whether or not he should call Sookie, but he decided against it. While he knew she'd be thrilled, he didn't want to disturb her rest. He turned off his computer and made his way upstairs, happy that he would be able to give Sookie what she wanted most in the world… her ancestral home.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Bill arrived at Jason's doorstep at eight o'clock in the following evening. He stepped out of his car and walked to the front door. He rang the bell as Jason opened it.

"Bill, come on in. Sookie's still in the shower. She should be finished soon." Jason stepped aside to make way for Bill. The two men made their way to the living room.

"Jason, there is something important that I need to ask you." Bill told Jason. Jason looked at Bill questioningly.

"When Sookie disappeared, did you ever have her declared legally dead?" Bill asked Jason seriously. Jason looked slightly taken aback with Bill's question.

"Well no, why would I? She's my sister!" Jason didn't understand why Bill asked him such a strange question.

"That's good to know. It makes it much easier for us to get her house back." Bill said.

"Jason, have you seen my hairbrush? I remember putting it…" Sookie stepped into the living room and her face broke into a smile upon seeing Bill. "Oh, hi Bill!" She reached out to hug him, which he returned.

"Hello, sweetheart." Bill planted a quick kiss on her hair, which was still damp from shower. Bill breathed in her scent appreciatively.

"Sook, I don't know where your hairbrush is. But I need to go now. Jess is waiting for me at the movies. You two have fun!" Jason said not giving Bill's comment another thought as he walked out of the house. A couple of minutes later, they heard his truck pull out of the driveway.

"Come, I have something to tell you." Bill led Sookie to the sofa and she sat down. Bill sat down beside her and took her hand in his. Sookie looked at him curiously.

"Sookie, my lawyers have found a way to revert the ownership of the house back to you. You will get it back in a few days, at most." Bill informed her. He could barely contain his excitement, but he managed to keep a straight face. He watched her face to see her reaction.

He wasn't disappointed.

For a second, Sookie just sat there, stunned. Then, she leapt up from her seat and threw herself on Bill. Sookie pressed her lips on Bill's and kissed him thoroughly. Bill wrapped his arms around Sookie's waist and pulled her closer onto his lap. Sookie's tongue probed his lips gently, asking for entrance, which he gladly granted. He let her take the lead and as their kiss deepened, Sookie ran her fingers through his hair and with a soft snick, Bill's fangs dropped. Sookie pulled back and cradled the side of his face in her hand and her finger gently traced his fang. Bill stayed still and looked at her tenderly.

"Thank you, Bill." Sookie whispered softly.

"You don't have to thank me, Sookie. All I want is for you to be happy." Bill whispered. Sookie leaned down to recapture his mouth. But this time, their kiss was less intense. After a few seconds, Sookie pulled away and just sat there, straddling him on the sofa.

"Bill, should we…?" Sookie asked shyly, while every nerve was screaming at her to continue, it just didn't feel right.

Bill took hold of her and carefully eased her off his lap, but not before giving her a sweet gentle kiss. "Sookie, please don't misunderstand, I do want us to make love soon, but no… this isn't how or where it should happen." Bill retracted his fangs and concentrated on explaining things to Sookie instead.

Sookie nodded then sat comfortably beside him, happy that he felt the way he did. Then she spied her hairbrush on the coffee table and began brushing out her hair. "So, what should I do now, legally I mean?" Sookie asked him excitedly. If there was anything that she could do to get the house back sooner, she'd gladly do it.

"All you need to do is sign a few papers and let George do the rest." Bill said.

"George? Oh, so you did hire him, that's great! I talked to him yesterday. He was quite worried that you wouldn't use his firm because of Portia, which reminds me, why exactly it is that Portia Belllefluer runs away screaming when she sees you?" Sookie asked Bill with curiosity.

Upon the mention of Portia, Bill's expression changed. Sookie thought he looked very uncomfortable. "Bill? Is something wrong?" Sookie asked worriedly.

"No, nothing is wrong." Bill tried to assure her, but Sookie saw through it.

"We promised no more secrets, remember?" Sookie raised her eyebrows challengingly and Bill looked even more uncomfortable. It made Sookie curious and worried at the same time. "C'mon, Bill. This isn't work related, is it?" Sookie tried to coax him into talking.

"No, it's… well it was personal. A few months ago, something happened between me and… ah, Miss Bellefluer." Bill said, avoiding her eyes. "But it only happened once." He hastily added. He didn't know how she would react. Bill prepared himself for an outburst. But it never came, much to his relief.

Sookie felt jealousy rise up in her, but she tamped it down. They weren't together back then and what happened in the past, stayed in the past. After all, he certainly hadn't been giving her any grief about Eric.

"Then why did she act so strangely around you? George said that when she saw you, she ran out, screaming." Sookie recalled.

Bill took an unnecessary deep breath before speaking. "After it happened, I found out that well, she's uh, related to me."

"She's what?" Sookie exclaimed in disbelief.

"The Bellefleurs are my direct descendants." Bill explained. "Anyway, I told her that we could no longer see each other anymore, even though it's many, many generations back, but the fact is, in my eyes she's basically many times over, my um, granddaughter. She was very stubborn and refused to leave me alone, so I had to glamour her into thinking that she is terrified of me. I'd say it works quite effectively." Bill finished his story a little weakly. Telling Sookie what he'd done to Portia seemed to make it sound a bit cruel.

For a few moments, Sookie just sat there open mouthed, looking at him, her eyes wide. Bill's mind churned trying to figure out a way to placate Sookie and explain it more reasonably when she suddenly burst out laughing!

Sookie laughed so hard her eyes became shiny with tears and she held her sides, and tried to catch her breath. Sookie wasn't sure if she'd ever be able to stop! This was just too funny.

"Sookie…!" Bill protested somewhat huffily, which only served to make Sookie laugh harder. It took her nearly a minute for her laughter to subside. All the while, Bill just glared at her indignantly.

"I'm so sorry, Bill. But you have to admit, it's pretty funny! You slept with your, what? Five or six 'greats' before granddaughter and then, when she refused to leave you alone, you actually glamoured her into believing she's so scared of you, she runs away, screaming, whenever she sees you?" Sookie couldn't help herself she began to laugh even harder.

Taking his cue from Sookie, Bill reluctantly agreed with her. "Well, it is a little funny." Sookie had sobered up to just giggling slightly and Bill chuckled along with her. He was just relieved that Sookie wasn't angry.

"So, how are we going to get the house back? Did you manage to convince Eric or something?" Sookie asked Bill once her giggles stopped. She was so excited at the prospect of getting her house back, she could barely sit still.

"Eric doesn't know about it and we want to keep it that way, until we are ready to proceed." Bill said. "You don't need to worry, sweetheart. Leave all of the legal processes to George. In a few days, the house will be yours again." Bill assured her. Sookie nodded.

Ten minutes later, they were sitting comfortably on the sofa. Bill had his arm around her shoulders and Sookie leaned her head on his shoulder. A half-empty bottle of TruBlood sat on the coffee table in front of them as they watched the news on TV.

"It's nice." Sookie sighed contentedly. There she was, relaxed and happy, watching TV with her boyfriend. In that moment, Sookie never felt more normal.

"What is?" Bill peered down at her.

"This." Sookie emphasized her point by taking Bill's hand and he immediately wrapped his fingers around her hand. "Just the two of us, watching TV together. It feels so… normal." Sookie said. Bill was at loss for words. Being normal was one of the things that he wanted the most for the two of them. But, because of his status, they had to give up what most supposed most people a normal life to be.

"I'm so sorry that I cannot give you a normal life, Sookie. How I wish…" Bill said apologetically, but Sookie placed her finger on his lips to silence him.

"I don't need a normal life, Bill. I want a life with you. I don't care if we can't spend the evenings watching TV together, or if we can't plant fruits and flowers in the garden. Just being able to spend the evening with you is enough for me." Sookie wanted him to understand that no matter what kind of life they'd have, as long as she could be with him, she'd be content.

She had finally realized that she'd wasted too much of their time together by fighting and arguing. She decided that from now on, they'd spend more time together, just the two of them. Of course, she knew she couldn't be unrealistic. She knew that with Bill's job, they couldn't afford the luxury of endless time together. But, she was planning to spend every moment possible with him.

"I love you, Sookie." Bill declared as he planted a soft kiss on her temple. He was grateful that Sookie was willing to sacrifice her chance of having a normal life to be with him. He swore to himself that he would do his best to make her happy.

"I love you too, Bill." Sookie told him sincerely and squeezed his hand.

For the next two hours or so, they just sat there, with their arms wrapped around each other, enjoying their rare opportunity of almost being normal. Bill had to leave by midnight because he had a meeting. Before he left, he reminded her again to lock the house and stay inside the house no matter what, especially now that neither Jason nor Jess was at home.

"Honey, I'll be fine. Go… You're gonna be late for your meeting." Sookie gave him a slight push out of the front door.

"Sookie, I'm the King. I'm not late, they are too early." Bill said laughingly. Sookie just rolled her eyes. Bill used this opportunity to lean in and steal a kiss from her.

"Please drive safely. I'll see you tomorrow." Sookie said after they pulled away from each other.

"Get inside, please." Bill was being adamant that she got inside first before he left. Sookie stepped into the house and closed the door. A few seconds later, she waved through the window as she watched his car leave the driveway.

Sookie went the living room and picked up the empty bottle of TruBlood, then went to the kitchen to throw the bottle into the bin and grab a cold drink. Sookie was halfway through her glass of lemonade when she heard the doorbell ring. She glanced at the clock. Jason and Jess wouldn't be home until well after midnight and besides, they had keys. Sookie walked to the door and curiously took a peek through the window. She gasped as she saw Eric standing there, staring right at her.

"Open the door. We need to talk." Eric demanded.

"There's nothing to talk about, Eric." Sookie moved to close the curtain, but Eric's next words stopped her.

"You know I can easily break the door, Sookie. Is that what you want?" Eric threatened. Sookie knew that he was being serious. So, against her better judgment, she opened the door making sure that she stayed well inside the house.

"Oh, Sookie …" Eric shook his head as if amused. "You know, this is _our_ dance, it's just between the two of us. There was no need for your _boyfriend_ to get involved." Eric sneered. Sookie could feel the fear grip her and she swallowed hard. How did he find out about Bill? What else did he know? How much did he know?

"What do you want, Eric?" Sookie asked him although she knew the answer.

"You know what I want, Sookie. I want you. No one and nothing will stand in my way, not even him." Eric said.

"Leave him alone, Eric. If you hurt him, I'll stake you myself." Sookie said fiercely.

"You made a mistake by choosing him over me, Sookie. I offered you a solution, but you rejected my offer. If you think that he can help you to get the house back, you're wrong. If you are unwilling to make it ours, then it isn't worth the bother. The house will be torn down, first thing in the morning." Eric said threateningly.

"What? Eric…" Sookie tried to reason with him, but he cut her off.

"This is your last chance. Reconsider Sookie; be with me and you can have your house back." Eric stepped closer to the door, but without Jason's invitation, he couldn't enter.

Sookie felt panic blossom inside her. Sookie just stood there, stunned. She couldn't believe that Eric would go to that extreme. She thought hard, trying to think of a way to persuade him to change his mind. But she knew better. Eric was one of the most stubborn people that she ever met.

After a second, Sookie made her decision. "If you want to destroy it, then go ahead. I'm not leaving Bill for you." Sookie said with finality. She hoped her voice sounded stronger than she really felt. Eric was quite taken aback by her words. He never dreamt Sookie would put Bill first before her home.

"Alright then. But remember, in the end, you might lose both." Eric shrugged his shoulders casually. "Good evening, Sookie." Eric said with mock politeness and then he turned around and faded into the night.

Sookie slammed the door shut and rushed to the phone. She dialed Bill's number and it went straight to his voicemail. Bill must still be in the meeting.

"Bill, it's me. Eric was here just now and he… Can you come here as soon as you can? Please?" Sookie left him a message. She was overwhelmed and scared. If Eric destroyed the house, even if they could get it back, it wouldn't matter anymore… it wasn't as if she could afford to rebuild, besides, what would be the point?

Sookie knew that there use panicking. There wasn't anything she could do now anyway. She'd have to wait for Bill.

'Bill will think of something. He won't let Eric destroy the house. There must be a way to stop him.' Sookie told herself over and over again. She tried to keep her mind off things with busy work. She went to the kitchen and did all the dishes. Once done, she went to the basement and did some laundry. She kept glancing at the clock, wondering when Bill would finish his meeting.

About an hour later, the doorbell rang. Sookie rushed to the door. She peered through the window and was immensely relieved to see Bill standing there. Sookie hurriedly opened the door and threw her arms around him, hugging him tight.

Bill put his arms around her. After a while, he pulled away. "I'm so sorry. I just got your message. Are you alright? Did he hurt you?" Bill asked her worriedly. He held her at arms' length and looked at her closely, inspecting her for any injury.

"I'm fine. He was here. He knows about us. He told me that he's demolishing the house in the morning unless I go with him. What do we do?" Sookie asked Bill anxiously.

"Sookie, sweetheart, please calm down..." Bill tried to get her to settle down. Sookie took a few deep breaths and finally managed to calm down a bit.

"I'll call George and see what we can do, alright? I promise you… we will not let Eric destroy your home." Bill told her calmly as he led her inside, closed the door and sat her down on the sofa. He took out his cell phone and called George. He explained the situation to George and asked if there was anything that they could do to stop Eric. Bill listened to George for a few moments.

"Are you certain you will be able to get a court order? I see, yes… Do it immediately."

Bill hung up and turned to Sookie, "It's going to be fine Sookie, George says he will wake the judge himself, he said he knows the judge will sign the order because he dislikes Judge Smith anyway. Smith is the judge that allowed Jason to sell the house in the first place. Once Eric is stopped, there will be some legal paperwork to be filed but you could have the house back soon, sweetheart." Bill sat down beside her and took her hand in his. Sookie was somewhat relieved, but Eric's parting words kept ringing in her ears.

"Bill, I'm so scared. What if he tries to hurt you? If anything were to happen to you…" Sookie started to babble but Bill pulled her into his arms.

"Shh… It's alright, Sookie. Don't worry, everything will be fine. I promise…" Bill assured her. He rubbed her back soothingly. Sookie nodded, clutching him tightly.

"How did he find you?" Bill asked a while later.

"I don't know. He came a few minutes after you left." Sookie shook her head. They heard Jason's truck pull in, and then the front door opened a few seconds later, Jason and Jessica stepped into the living room.

"Oh, hey guys!" Jason greeted them cheerfully. His smile fell when he saw Sookie's expression. "What's wrong?" He asked confusedly.

"Eric came here after I left earlier. He plans to demolish the house tomorrow." Bill explained.

"What?" Both Jason and Jess looked surprised.

"We are going to stop him." Bill said firmly. He was serious when he said it. He would stop Eric from destroying the house, no matter what.

"How?" Jason asked. He realized that the situation had gotten out of hand.

"My lawyers are working on something. Hopefully, they will have the necessary paperwork soon." Bill said before turning to Sookie, "Sookie, I have to go. There is paperwork that needed to be prepared first. I will ask George to meet you directly tomorrow morning. I know you're worried, but please stay inside this house as it is the safest place right now. Can you promise me that you will not go anywhere before sunrise?" Knowing Sookie, Bill knew that she would desperately want to go protect her home. Bill wanted to make sure that Sookie would stay put and wait until sunrise.

Sookie nodded. She wanted to stop Eric herself, but she knew that there was no point of doing something that foolish. Without the necessary legal documents, there's nothing that she could do to stop them.

Sookie had also learned from her past mistakes, she forced herself to accept that she had to do what was best and right now that was doing what she was told to do. She looked Bill in the eyes and said, "I promise you, I will not leave this house before sunrise."

Bill nodded and stood up. He bent down to drop a kiss on top of Sookie's head before walking away. Jessica took his place and sat down beside Sookie. Bill signaled Jason to follow him. The two men left the room.

"Jason, it's extremely important that you and Jessica stay here with Sookie for the time being. Do not leave her alone. We don't know if Eric would be back or if he would try to do something. To be on the safe side, you shouldn't answer the door yourself. Eric could glamour you into letting him in."

Jason started to protest but Bill continued, "He's very dangerous Jason, even as good as you are at your job, Eric has a thousand years of deception and treachery on his side." Bill said as he stood with Jason in the front porch.

"I got it. I'm not gonna leave her alone, and I won't answer the door. Don't worry." Jason assured Bill.

"Very well. I will call her later. Good night, Jason and thank you..." Bill nodded to Jason and made his way back to his car.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

"Sook, you need to get some rest." Jason told Sookie after Bill left, Jason and Jess sat with Sookie to keep her company until Jessica had to go ground. Bill called just before dawn to tell Sookie that the paperwork was ready and George would meet her at the house at first light which would be 6:37 a.m. vampires are handy to have around when you need to know when the sun's coming up!

"No, I need to be there at as soon as it's light." Sookie was worried that if she went to bed, she'd be late and lose her house forever. She was too restless to sleep anyway.

"Sook, there's still time…" Jason tried to persuade her, but Sookie interrupted him.

"I'll be fine, Jason. You go to bed. You have to be at work at one, right?" Sookie gave Jason a weak assuring smile.

Jason nodded. "Promise me you'll get some sleep once the house is safe."

Sookie just gave him a nod and turned her attention back to the TV. Jason sighed and finally let her be. She was going to be mad enough when she discovered he would be there at sun up as it was.

Sookie shifted anxiously in her seat. Her eyes kept wandering over to the clock. George wouldn't be at the Stackhouse's until first light either so until then, there was nothing that she could do but wait.

About a half hour before dawn she heard the shower turn on, she was surprised but then it occurred to her that it must be Jess showering before she went to sleep for the day and went back to watching for the slightest change in the black of night. The second the sky lightened enough for Sookie to see her car, she grabbed her car keys and drove to her ancestral homestead, and today she would not let them down, the deed would once again be in the Stackhouse name. When she got there, she was shocked! She skidded to a stop and scrambled from her car.

A demolition crew was already there. Complete with heavy equipment and waiting open long box semi-trailer trucks for the debris, and Sookie felt sick to her stomach as she stood frozen, staring open-mouthed as the bucket of a backhoe took out a large portion of her front porch. She whipped her head around frantically, looking for George, but he was nowhere to be seen. In her panic, Sookie had frozen in place but was stunned out of her shock when the backhoe's bucket moved upward once again.

She ran, screaming at the top of her lungs. "Wait! Stop!" Sookie yelled and ran toward the house. The workers paused and looked at Sookie in confusion. "Who's in charge? I want to talk to the person in charge!" Sookie demanded.

"I am in charge, Miss. You're not supposed to be here. We're bringing this place down and it's too dangerous for gawkers, you'll have to leave." One of the workers approached Sookie.

"Get them to stop. You can't do this." Sookie desperately tried to stop them.

"Miss, we have an order from Mr. Northman to demolish this building." The man produced a bunch of paperwork and showed it to Sookie as a proof. Sookie didn't even bother to look at the papers.

"I don't care who gave you the order. You cannot destroy this house!" Sookie was mortified. Where the hell was George? As the bucket made its downward arc, Sookie heard sirens and spun around to see three sheriff's cars, lights flashing speeding toward the house. Even the backhoe operator turned to see what the ruckus was all about.

"Andy! Andy! Make then stop!" Sookie saw Jason slew to a stop and she was so happy to see him she could barely speak; both Jason and Andy ran quickly to Sookie's side. Andy puffed up and said with great authority to the crew boss, "You will cease and desist any and all acts of the demolition of this house immediately."

"Sheriff, I will be more than happy to comply, providing you have a court order… do you have a court order?"

"Yes, yes! It is on its…" Sookie heard another siren and watched as it soared down her driveway followed closely by a black Caddy. Jason turned back, smiled at the crew boss and said, "It's here."

"Good morning. My name is George Park and I'm here to serve this court order, as a sworn Officer of the Court, signed by a Judge in good standing in the Renard Parrish and the State of Louisiana." George told them with great authority, and then handed the document over to the man.

The man took a look at the paper and then turned toward his fellow coworkers. "Shut it down! They have a court order!" He yelled before turning back toward George. "I'll need a copy of that court order, Mr. Park." The man said. George took out another legal and Parrish certified copy of the court order and passed it to the man. The lawyer and the crew boss walked away taking care of the specifics.

Sookie hadn't realized how badly she was shaking until Jason but his arm around her and said, "S'kay Sook, just breathe."

Sookie was weak in the knees when she saw that a crane that swung a wrecking ball was nearly unloaded. The workers minds filled hers with many things, mostly anger and frustration. The most complaints were from the group of men with the crane. It was a difficult and time-consuming task and they were not happy about it. Then Sookie said, "Jason! What the hell are you doing here? Wait! Was that you in the shower?"

"Yeah it was, and I had to be here Sook… this is all my fault and you know it. And don't you worry none about the porch! Me and a couple of the guys will have that porch fixed in no time!"

She leaned into him and he gave her a fierce hug. "I've got to admit, a police escort for George was a nice touch, but he's a lawyer for crying out loud! If anyone should unders…"

Jason held up his hand to stop her, "George missed the driveway," Sookie rolled her eyes. "Nah… c'mon now, you know it's not easy to find with good light much less just barely dawn. He was smart enough to call me, and Andy sent Kenya to escort him back here."

As they spoke, George shook hands with the crew boss and turned to walk over to where Sookie stood.

"George, thank you so much!" Sookie thanked George gratefully.

"No problem, Sookie. I'm glad to help. Sorry I was late though. I got lost." George told her apologetically.

"That's alright. You're just in time." Sookie said. She and George walked to the front porch to assess the damage. Sookie cringed slightly upon seeing the broken and splintered wood, but she knew Jason would make it right and the rest of the house was still intact, much to Sookie's relief.

"Sookie, is there a place where we can sit down and talk? I need to explain the process of getting this house back to you, as per Mr. Compton's order." George asked her when the workers had finally left.

Sookie said after a second, "We could go to Merlotte's."

"Perfect! Lead the way. I'll follow your car." George gestured toward their cars. Sookie nodded and with one last look at her ruined porch, she made her way back to her car.

They arrived at Merlotte's and Sam was surprised to see them so early, invited them in and poured their coffee. George insisted that it was his treat, especially if Sookie wanted breakfast. Sookie knew Sam would cook for them if they wanted him too, but she was too tired to argue and just let George buy her coffee. They sat down at one of the empty tables. George placed a thick folder on the table and opened it. Inside, there was a stack of legal documents. He then proceeded to explain what she needed to know.

"How are we going to get Eric to sign all these papers?" Sookie asked George curiously after George had explained to her the various documents which both she and Eric had to sign.

"He has to, for two reasons. The house was sold to him with unsanctioned circumstances. Secondly, the King has ordered him to, so, he has no choice." George explained to her.

Sookie relaxed after that, she'd been positive Eric would disappear without a trace leaving everything in limbo. Now that she'd relaxed, she got inquisitive. "How much did he pay for the house?" Sookie asked.

"Mr. Northman bought the house for $78,000 in cash." George said. "There will be extensive renovation fees, and possibly an assessed value stipulation, if Mr. Northman demanded so. We'll try to get the best deal possible, but you need to be prepared, Sookie. Our best hope would be the judge would rule against valuation compensation. Then it would simply be a matter of the renovations. Mr. Compton hasn't shared everything with me, but I believe he is working on a backup plan as well." George continued. For a few moments, Sookie just sat there, staring at George in shock.

"How much money exactly do I have to prepare?" Sookie asked slowly, preparing for the worst.

"Let's see…" George shifted through the papers until he found what he's looking for. "The Stackhouse property is now assessed at $300,000, you might expect around $200,000, without the cost of the renovations. But don't worry. We'll try our best to reduce the amount as much as possible." George tried to assure her.

Sookie nearly fell off her chair. How was she going to get that kind of money in a short period of time? Sookie hoped against all hopes that Jason still had the money that Eric paid him. Not that it really mattered; $78,000 would barely make a dent. Just then, an even worse situation flooded her mind, she spoke just above a whisper when she asked, "How much do you think the renovations cost?"

George dropped his eyes before speaking. "Of course, we have no way of knowing for sure until we get our hands of the construction costs, but probably in the neighborhood of $200,000 to $250,000."

Sookie had known Eric had spent lavishly in the reconstruction, and it wasn't like Eric would ever choose someplace like, "Billy Bob's Gently Used Wood & Construction" she thought glumly. Then she had another thought, "How much will I be paying you for the legal services?" Sookie asked, dreading the answer. She knew that lawyers of George's caliber were expensive. As is in $500 an hour expensive!

"You don't need to worry about the legal fees. Mr. Compton has already covered that." George smiled at her kindly.

"Is there anything else that I need to know? When are we going to do this?" Sookie asked George.

"We can do it tonight if you so desire. I've discussed the matter with Mr. Compton and we thought that it's for the best if we do it at Mr. Compton's place." George advised her. Sookie readily agreed to his proposition. Sookie wanted to get the house back as soon as possible. If there was any delay, she worried that Eric would somehow find a way to destroy the house.

"What time is the best time for you?" George asked as he opened his phone to arrange his schedule.

"Um… How about 7 PM? I'll meet you at Bill's directly." Sookie said.

"Excellent. I'll inform Mr. Compton." George said as he put the folder into his briefcase. He finished his coffee and stood up. "I'll see you tonight, Sookie. And don't worry. It's going to be fine, I'm certain." George smiled down at her. Sookie returned his smile and then George left.

After finishing her coffee, Sookie drove back to Jason's. She'd been relieved that Sam was nowhere around when she went to leave, she didn't know how much he'd heard, and she wasn't up to explaining it either. When she arrived at Jason's place, Sookie was exhausted. She decided to follow Jason's advice earlier and take a nap. She would need her energy tonight when dealing with Eric. She was just grateful that Bill would be there with her.

Sookie woke up two hours before sunset. She made her way to the bathroom and took a quick shower. Sookie then proceeded to the kitchen and make something for dinner. She didn't feel like eating, but she forced herself to. She had a little smile on her lips when she heard Jason's snoring all the way from his bedroom. He must have come home and crashed too. She knew Jason well enough to know he'd wake up starving so she made one of Gran's tuna and noodle salads. It was just the thing after a day like today… comfort food!

After dinner, Sookie decided to just go to Bill's place. She had promised Bill that she would not step out of the house after dark. So, if she was going to go to his place, she had to leave before sunset. She just hoped that the guards would allow her inside.

Sookie jotted down a note to inform Jessica that she's going to Bill's and that she had made some dinner for Jason. All he needed to do was scoop it onto a plate. Sookie also told Jason to call her as soon as possible. Five minutes later, she was on her way to the Compton mansion.

Sookie arrived at Bill's place half an hour before sunset. Apparently, the guards recognized her and let her through without any question. Sookie drove her car along the driveway and Beau stopped her when she reached the front door. He asked her to step out of the car.

"I'll park your car at the back." Beau informed her with a smile.

"Um, thanks Beau." Sookie stepped out of the car.

"No problem, Sook. You can go right in. His Majesty has told us to give you free access." Beau told her. Sookie smiled at him and stepped onto the porch. She stood there and watched as Beau drove her car away. She then turned to step into the house. The guards immediately opened the door for her.

"Is Ms. Davis in?" Sookie asked. Sookie thought that she'd have a chat with Rachel while waiting for Bill to rise.

"Yes, Miss. She's in the living room." They held the door open for her and as she walked past them, they gave her a slight bow. Sookie felt slightly awkward. She wasn't used to this kind of treatment.

Sookie stepped into the living room and spotted Rachel sitting on the sofa, typing away in her laptop.

"Hi Rachel!" Sookie greeted her.

"Sookie!" Rachel put down her laptop and stood up to hug Sookie. "What brings you here?" She asked Sookie after they stepped apart.

"I'm here to see Bill. I thought I'd have a chat with you while waiting for him to wake up. I hope I haven't interrupted something." Sookie gestured at Rachel's laptop.

"No, not at all. I'm just writing an article while waiting for Nick to wake up. Would you like something to drink?" Rachel asked her. Sookie nodded. The two women made their way to the kitchen.

"The other day, Bill told me that your article got a lot of positive reviews. That must be good for your career." Sookie said as they leaned against the kitchen counter, each holding a glass of lemonade in their hands.

"Thanks." Rachel said shyly. "I got some negative reviews as well, but yes. Actually, I've just gotten a new job because of it! You're the first person who knows about this. They only called me this afternoon. I can't wait to tell Nick!" Rachel told Sookie excitedly.

"Wow! That's great! Congratulations! I'm happy for you!" Sookie put her glass on the counter and reached out to hug Rachel.

"Thank you, Sookie! Nick and I are going back to New Orleans soon. Are you free tomorrow afternoon? Let's have lunch together. My treat, of course." Rachel smiled brightly at Sookie.

"Sure." Sookie agreed. "Where do you want to go?"

"I don't know. What do you recommend?" Rachel asked her. They got into a discussion about the best place to eat around town. In the end, they decided to go to a steak restaurant at Shreveport.

When Nick found them fifteen minutes later, they were chatting about the various cuisines that could be found around the area. Nick gave Rachel a peck on her cheek and she got a bottle of TruBlood for him. Nick turned toward Sookie.

"Hello, Nick! How are you?" Sookie asked him.

"Good evening, Sookie. I'm fine. How about you? I heard from His Majesty that you're going to get your house back pretty soon. That's good news." Nick gave her a warm smile.

"Yes, but I believe we have more good news." Sookie glanced meaningfully at Rachel. Rachel handed the TruBlood to Nick, a big smile on her face.

"Both of you ladies look like you know something that we don't. Would you care to share?" They heard Bill's voice coming from the doorway. They turned to look at him. Sookie's face broke into a smile upon seeing him.

"Your Majesty…" Nick bowed slightly. Bill nodded to him.

"Hello, Bill! TruBlood?" Rachel offered.

"Yes, please. Good evening, Sookie." Bill approached Sookie and greeted her with a kiss on her forehead.

"Hi, Bill. I'm sorry to come unannounced, but George said that we're going to get things done tonight. So, here I am." Sookie shrugged her shoulders. "And don't worry, I got here before sunset." She added.

"Don't apologize. I'm happy to see you. If you had told me beforehand, I would gladly have picked you up. Then you wouldn't have had to drive all the way here." Bill smiled down at Sookie. Rachel handed Bill a warmed TruBlood and he nodded his thanks.

"So, what is the other good news that you were talking about, Sookie?" Nick asked curiously. Sookie just looked at Rachel encouragingly.

"This afternoon, I got a call from that weekly paper in New Orleans and I'm now the new chief editor." Rachel announced. For a split second, the vampires just looked at her and then Nick reached to hug her tightly.

"Congratulations, darling!" He planted a kiss on Rachel's forehead.

"Thank you. I'm so happy!" Rachel laughed. Nick stepped back and Bill took his turn to hug Rachel.

"Congratulations, Rachel. I am so happy for you. You are a great journalist and you deserve this." Bill said sincerely.

"Thank you, Bill. You helped me a lot, you know… If it wasn't for your help, I never would have gotten the job to begin with, so thank you." Rachel smiled at him gratefully.

"You're welcome." Bill stepped back and stood beside Sookie. His arm automatically wrapped around her waist.

"Does it mean that you will be staying with me to New Orleans? No more commuting from New York?" Nick asked. Rachel nodded and Nick gave her another hug.

Sookie and Bill laughed. Bill finished his TruBlood and excused himself to his office.

"Sookie, why don't you come with me?" Bill held out his hand to Sookie.

"Sure, but aren't you busy?" Sookie asked as she placed her hand in his.

"It's alright." Bill said. The pair made their way to Bill's office, leaving Nick and Rachel in the kitchen to celebrate in private.

Bill sat behind his desk, replying to his emails, and Sookie walked around his office with fascination. There was a range of beautiful artwork around the room. Sookie didn't understand much about art, but she knew that Bill had a good taste in that area.

"Wow, Bill! These are beautiful! Where did you get them?" Sookie looked at a figurine resting at the shelf.

"Over the years, I collected them during my travels. When I built this office, I decided to put them on display rather than keeping them in the storage." Bill said without glancing up from his monitor. Sookie walked to the desk and plopped down one of the chairs in front of Bill.

"George told me that you've covered the lawsuit fees." Sookie said casually.

Bill's fingers stopped typing. He looked at Sookie. "Yes." He said carefully. He knew from past experiences that she didn't like people doing this kind of things for her. For years, Sookie took pride in her financial independence. She didn't like being dependent on anyone, not even her Gran.

"You didn't need to do that." Sookie stood slowly and put her hands on the desk.

"I know I do not need to, but I wanted to do it. This is the least that I can do for you." Bill reached across the desk and took her hands in his.

"You've done so much for me." Sookie told him. He had given her so much. He had sacrificed so much for her.

"Sookie, I love you and I want to do this for you. Please, let me do this. Let me take care of you." Bill squeezed her hands gently.

"I love you too." Sookie smiled sweetly at him. "Alright then. Let's take care of each other then. If there's anything that I can do for you, you have to tell me, ok?" Sookie was touched. She could see how much he wanted to do this for her. Sookie knew that she couldn't ask for a better man.

"Of course. Thank you, sweetheart." Bill smiled tenderly at her. They looked at each other lovingly. Bill stood and leaned toward her across the desk. All of sudden, Sookie's phone rang. They jumped apart from each other and Sookie reached into her purse to answer the call.

"Hello, Jason?" Sookie greeted her brother. She almost forgot that she had asked Jason to call her. Bill sat down on his chair and resumed his work.

"Hi, Sook, are you at Bill's?" Jason asked her lightly.

"Yup. Did you get my message?" Sookie plopped down on the chair in front of Bill.

"Yeah, thanks for the tuna salad, it was great! Anyway, why did you ask me to call you? Is something wrong?" Jason asked with a hint of worry in his voice. Bill looked up at Sookie curiously. Was there anything that she didn't tell him?

"No, Jason, nothing's wrong, I just want to ask you, ah, do you have any of the money? Please don't get mad, it's just that, it's gonna be bad Jason and I'm going to need every last dime before this is over. Please tell me you haven't spent it all." At this point, Bill raised his eyebrows questioningly at Sookie. Sookie just mouthed to him that she'd tell him all about it later. She knew he could hear everything.

"Um… About $78,000, I guess. No, I haven't spent it all. I'm not that stupid, Sook." Jason told her indignantly. Sookie smiled, despite herself.

"I'm sorry, Jason. I didn't mean it that way. I need the money to pay him back for the house. That's why I want to make sure that you still have the money." Sookie explained. Bill was no longer paying attention to his computer. He focused solely on Sookie now.

"No problem. What time are you going to be back?" Jason asked.

"I don't know. But don't worry. I have my keys with me. You and Jess just go ahead and do… uh, whatever you've planned to do." Sookie trailed off.

"But I thought you're not supposed to be out there after dark? What if Eric found you?" Jason protested.

"Tell him I will drive you back later." Bill interjected.

"Bill will drive me back later. So, don't worry, ok?" Sookie tried to assure her brother. She appreciated his concern, but Sookie didn't want Jason to be overly worried.

"Oh, alright then. I'll talk to you later." Jason sounded much more relieved.

"Bye, Jason…" Sookie hung up and looked at Bill. He opened his mouth to say something, but Sookie beat him to it. She told him about what happened earlier in the morning. Bill listened carefully. He'd already known about the money and wondered where Sookie would get the rest of the money. Which he knew might be as much as a $500,000.00 if not more.

"Sookie, if Eric is awarded a large recompense, where will you get the money?" Bill tried to make his tone as neutral as possible.

"I don't know. Maybe I could get a loan from the bank. I could use the house for collateral but then I will have a mortgage I really can't afford and they wouldn't allow me to get more than it's worth now anyway …" Sookie said uncertainly. Honestly, she didn't know how she would come up with the money. She wasn't even sure if the bank would give her the loan, it wasn't a good financial move on a banks part.

"Sookie, the bank will charge you with a high interest rate. I have a better solution." Sookie immediately knew what he wanted to say and opened her mouth to protest, but Bill held out his hand. "Hear me out first. I can lend you the money, I'll even charge you interest if you'd prefer. That way, you do not need to go through the long process of applying for the loan and paying the huge amount of interest." Bill tried to reason with her.

"No, Bill. I can't do that. How am I going to pay you back?" Sookie declined his offer.

"As I'm not a bank, I don't require time limitations. You do not need to hurry in paying me back. I have more than enough to spare. You can pay me back slowly, over the years." Bill said. "Besides, you might need the money immediately. We don't want to give Eric any reason to hold onto the house for longer than necessary." Then Bill changed tactics and brought up something he knew Sookie hadn't even thought of yet. He didn't want to use it but he needed her to see more than just the staggering amounts of money the situation that could be required of her. "Sookie, what do you pay yearly for your property taxes?" He asked her as gently as he could.

"Well, I put about $250 dollars a month in an account that I only draw from in January, why?"

"Sweetheart… your taxes have been reassessed which includes nearly six months of the completed renovations. Sookie, this year's taxes have more than doubled, next year will be triple this amount. How would you cover them? If the bank mortgages your home and property, the house could end up in foreclosure. It's an everyday fact of life in these hard times."

Sookie was stunned speechless as her already overloaded mind tried to process this latest revelation. She closed her eyes and sat back in the chair, Sookie thought about it for a few seconds. She knew Bill was right. If she mortgaged the house, she'd never have enough to make a house payment and the property taxes. If Eric demanded the money immediately, she wouldn't be able to come up with the money, no matter how hard she tried. Eric hadn't done her any favors that was for sure. Even if they'd brought the house down, she wouldn't be able to afford to sleep on the property in a tent!

"Alright, but I will pay you back." Sookie told him firmly.

"Of course." Bill agreed. He would think of a way to persuade her to just let go of this matter later. For now, he'd let her have her way.

There's was a knock on the door.

"Enter!" Bill said. The door opened and a guard stepped in.

"Your Majesty, Mr. Park is here." He informed them.

"Let him in." Bill said. The guard bowed and walked out from the room. A few seconds later, George entered the office.

"Your Highness." George bowed respectfully to Bill. Bill nodded.

"Good evening, Sookie." George greeted Sookie.

"Good evening, George." Sookie smiled at him from her seat. Now that George was here, Sookie could feel nervousness started to seep through her.

"Take a seat, George." Bill gestured for him to sit down. George sat down beside Sookie. "Miss Stackhouse has told me about what happened this morning. Have you prepared all the paperwork?" Bill asked.

"Yes, Sire. I have it all here." George patted his briefcase.

"Good. Is there anything else that you need to tell us before our meeting with Mr. Northman?" Bill wanted them to be well prepared before they faced Eric.

"No, Your Highness." George told him.

"Very well then." Bill picked up the phone and summoned Eric. He then called Nick and asked him to meet them in the conference room. When they got there, they took their seats at the conference table. Bill didn't take his usual seat at the head of the table. It had been decided on earlier, this gave them the better advantage, four facing one would intimidate most humans easily, but Eric was far from human. Bill took the middle chair. Sookie sat on his right and Nick on his left. George sat down beside Sookie and laid out all of the documents on the table. Eric would be sitting in front of them, facing them all. Two armed guards would stand at the doorway, and more than twenty just outside the door, just in case Eric was foolish enough to try anything rash.

About fifteen minutes later, a guard informed them that Eric had arrived.

"Escort him in." Bill said. Sookie took a deep breath and Bill turned to her.

"Don't worry, Sookie. Everything is going to be fine." He took her hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"I know." Sookie smiled up at him. Her face was a picture of determination.

"Let's do this." Bill said to her as the guards opened the double doors to allow Eric into the room.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

When Eric entered the conference room, his eyes were automatically drawn toward Sookie. Under Eric's heated gaze, Sookie unconsciously shifted her chair slightly closer to Bill.

Eric felt anger rise up in him as he saw Sookie shifting closer to Bill. He wanted to yank her away, but Eric wasn't a fool. He wouldn't do anything that might anger the King, at least not in the open. So, he regained control over himself and turned to Bill.

"Your Majesty…" Eric said dryly as he bowed at his King.

"Sheriff Northman. Take a seat." Bill gestured for Eric to sit down. Eric chose to sit directly in front of Sookie. He looked intently at Sookie, which made her squirm slightly in her seat. Satisfied with her reaction, Eric shifted his attention toward his King, who was watching him closely.

"What can I do for you, my beloved Sovereign?" Eric asked with mock politeness.

"You know very well why I summoned you." Bill ignored the sarcasm in Eric's voice. He turned toward George and said, "George, you may take it from here." Bill commanded.

"Mr. Northman, I'm here to represent Ms. Stackhouse." George handed Eric a folder. "Inside, you will find all of the documents related to the purchase of the Stackhouse property for your reference. Once you've read through them, you'll need to sign a few documents to return ownership of the Stackhouse property to Ms. Stackhouse, effective immediately."

"Why would I do that? That house is mine." Eric looked sharply at the lawyer.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Northman, but the courts have determined that the purchase of the house was unsanctioned." George said calmly as he looked at Eric steadily. George was one of the bests in his field and he's determined to prove it, especially to Bill.

"Unsanctioned? What do you mean by 'unsanctioned'?" Eric asked; what was this fool talking about?

"Mr. Northman, the house was solely owned by Ms. Stackhouse, Jason Stackhouse, her brother, was mistakenly allowed to put the house up for sale without first having her declared legally dead, therefore, the sale of the house has been deemed invalid. It's explained in detail in the paperwork I've provided you." George pointed to the papers.

Both Bill and Sookie watched Eric closely to gauge his reaction. As they'd guessed, Eric wasn't pleased in the least, Bill flicked his eyes toward the sentries by the door, and it was his signal to them to get ready.

Eric quickly flipped through the papers, reading the contents at vampire speed. Eric felt a white hot rage building inside him. He was angriest at the idiot attorney that had convinced him no one would ever uncover his little 'gray-area' cover up about Jason's rights to sell her house. How did they find this? Apparently, he had underestimated Bill's power and authority.

"I purchased the house in good faith from Mr. Stackhouse, with whom I was assured had authorization to sell. Now you're asking me to what? Sign a few papers and return the house? I don't think so. I paid for that house." Eric said. Sookie's heart fluttered slightly, Eric's voice was getting colder and colder with every word he spoke. She would have felt better if he'd started yelling, this dry-ice-cold tone was scaring her.

"Yes, you did. But, Mr. Stackhouse's name was never on the deed, and the home was not his to sell. We have talked to Mr. Stackhouse and explained the situation to him. He was willing to return all of your money. We've calculated the amount and feel fair compensation to be in the amount of $225,000. It includes the original price of the house and the cost of the renovations. You can find it all in there." George told Eric, who looked at the lawyer doubtfully. "You can calculate it again if you'd like." George offered and handed him a calculator.

The tension in the room was palpable as Eric looked over the papers once again. His fingers were dancing on the calculator. After a while, he put down the calculator and looked up, a small triumphant smirk gracing his face. This was not lost on the other occupants in the room. Bill managed to keep his cool demeanor, but Sookie's uneasiness was quite obvious.

When Eric spoke, he had a tone of pending victory in his voice. "This is all very well and good," he said as he flipped the papers carelessly on the table. I have some information and calculations for you, so listen closely. The renovations alone were in excess of a quarter of a million dollars. Renovations that, I might add, significantly raised the property values. As such, there is no way I will accept a settlement of a mere $225,000. I may not be a lawyer, but I am a businessman. Did you really expect me to settle for this ludicrous amount that would clearly put me in the red?" Eric might have been speaking to George but his eyes were on Sookie.

Sookie was glad that Bill and George had told her what to expect. This was not going to be a simple matter and they knew Eric would never settle for that amount. After much discussion before Eric arrived, it had been agreed upon as a jumping off point in the discussion.

Bill, as calmly as he possibly could, asked, "Well, exactly what figure do you have in mind? You mentioned you had some calculations, did you not?" He was starting to lose his patience, but Bill was determined to keep control over the situation. He wouldn't let himself fall into Eric's trap.

Eric moved his eyes to Bill and then back to Sookie when he said, "One million. Cash. Tonight. The alternative would be we take this matter to the courts for a decision. You know of course, it could take months and months before ownership would be established. A lot of things could happen during the next year or so." Eric said this casually, but the meaning of his words was clearly understood.

Bill answered Eric coldly, "Eric, two things are going to happen here tonight. One, you will negotiate a fair and proper settlement and two; you will sign the papers returning the Stackhouse home to its true and rightful owner."

Eric stared at Bill and said menacingly, "I do believe that your Majesty has erred in your mistaken belief that you have dominion over a civil action, with regard to the case at hand."

Bill didn't even blink at Eric's words. He just said, "$275,000."

Eric laughed, "$780,000." He countered. "Your Highness," he said with a voice that was heavily laden with disdain and feigned lack of concern, "I could do this all night, although this is all getting very boring. Let me get this straight for you, my Liege; I bought the house, I own the house and I will not back down. The only way this exchange will happen is with cash," he turned to look at Sookie and gave her a smirk before saying, "You'll have to forgive me for being rude, but I doubt that someone… well anyone that makes their living working for… what? Ten or twelve bucks an hour plus tips?" He turned his gaze back to Bill before finishing, "Could come up with the $147,000 you propose for a settlement."

Bill shook his head just a little and smiled. It wasn't a cheery smile though. It was more like the kind of smile you give a child that just can't understand the rules. "Eric, what's the point here? You cannot win. The sale of the house wasn't legal in the first place. You can drag this out indefinitely, but to what end? You will not win this case Eric, plain and simple, when it's all said and done? You'll be lucky to get just the purchase price back and you damn well know it. So, Sheriff, I suggest that you. Give. Me. A. Number." Everything about Bill at that moment was pure menace and Eric met his King's gaze with equal force. Both refused to back down. Sookie looked at them and swallowed hard. She was scared that the situation would get out of hand and Eric would do something that might hurt Bill, or her, or both of them. Sookie glanced around the room, making sure that the guards were still there and ready to defend their King.

Eric's mind was spinning with ways to come at this. He also knew this would not serve his ultimate goal, he knew he needed to step back and rethink things but for now, this negotiation was over.

"$650,000." Eric looked at his King scathingly.

"$500,000." Bill continued to stare at him coldly.

"$600,000." Eric narrowed his eyes.

"$575,000." Bill almost growled.

Eric waited a brief moment before saying, "Agreed." He gave Sookie an evil grin and said, "Of course this agreement is void at dawn, seeing as one of the conditions is cash only, tonight."

George quickly said, "You must give Miss Stackhouse a chance to speak to the bank…"

Eric gave a bitter laugh and said, "Of course. She can talk to the bank, but I want the cash by dawn." Eric said with finality. He closed the folder in front of him and leaned back in his seat, a triumphant smirk on his face. His eyes fixed on Sookie.

Sookie bit her lip. Bill was right. Sookie was glad that she had agreed to Bill's plan. As hard as it had been for her to accept it, she knew instinctively she'd done the right thing.

Bill gave Nick a flick of his eyes and Nick left the room. If Eric was surprised by this, he didn't let it show. When he realized that he'd played right into their hands, Eric cursed silently. Nick returned to the conference room and, with the help of a couple of Bill's guards, placed two extra-large briefcases on the table. Nick flipped them open and exposed the crisp, banded stacks of hundred dollar bills, before moving to stand beside his King.

Sookie felt faint when she saw the cash. She had thought Bill was going to get Eric to accept a check! "Oh my stars…" Sookie exclaimed softly. She'd never seen that much money in her entire life! Sookie gawked at the money and glanced at Bill. To her astonishment, he winked at her. Sookie could feel her jaw dropping slightly. She'd never know that Bill had been prepared for up to one and a half million.

George turned to look at Sookie and Bill. Bill nodded slightly. "Alright then. We accept your terms." George told Eric as he readied the papers for Eric to sign, sliding each across to him with the legal explanation for each.

Eric's face bore a look of indifference but inside he felt quite a bit of shock and disbelief. Knowing Sookie's stubbornness and independence, Eric never imagined for a moment that Sookie would let Bill play a hand in this matter. It seemed that he truly had misjudged the nature of their relationship.

"$575,000, in cash. Would you like to count it, Sheriff?" It was Bill's turn to look triumphant. He would never forget that look on Eric's face as he just sat there, staring at the money.

"Mr. Northman, are you ready to sign the documents?" George asked formally.

For a few seconds, Eric just sat there, motionless. When Eric finally looked at Bill and Sookie, his blue eyes shone with cold fury and his fangs dropped involuntarily. He looked positively lethal. Sookie swallowed hard and she pressed back against the back of her chair. She instinctively reached for Bill and grabbed his hand.

"Retract your fangs, Northman." Bill said coldly, his own fangs dropped. Bill could feel Sookie's grip tighten and from behind him, he heard Nick's fangs had dropped as well.

Eric growled low, but he retracted his fangs, especially when he noticed that eight of Bill's guards were standing behind him and pointing their guns at him. The last thing he needed was to get arrested for treason against the King. He composed himself and leaned forward, reached for the cases and started to count the money. Eric knew full well there wasn't a dime missing but he used the counting of the cash to regain his self-control.

Bill retracted his own fangs and signaled to Nick to do the same. Bill noticed that Sookie was still clutching his hand tightly, so Bill turned his palm up and took her hand in his. They sat there, watching, as Eric seemed to take his time counting the money. The guards lowered their guns, but they were still on alert in case Eric did try to do anything.

After fifteen minutes, Eric finally pushed the cases aside. George took it as a cue and placed the papers in front of Eric. He indicated the places where Eric should sign and without another word, Eric signed them all. Afterwards, George moved toward Sookie and put the papers in front of her. Sookie let go of Bill's hand and signed all of the documents. She could feel Eric was watching her intently, but she ignored him.

"That's all. The house is yours again, Ms. Stackhouse." George announced five minutes later. Sookie sighed in relief.

"Your Majesty, if that's all, I'll excuse myself." Eric said curtly as he stood up and picked up the briefcases.

"That will be all, Sheriff." Bill dismissed him. Eric bowed slightly and with one last look at Sookie, he walked away.

"Eric, wait…!" To her own, and everyone else's, surprise, Sookie called out to stop him. Eric stopped in his tracks and turned around to look at Sookie.

"Sookie?" Bill got up from his seat and looked at Sookie questioningly. Sookie squeezed Bill's hand and looked deeply into his eyes, silently pleading him to understand. Bill nodded and let go of her hand. Sookie smiled softly at him and approached Eric.

"Let's talk outside." Sookie said and she led the way. Eric was quite taken aback, but he followed her anyway.

"Your Majesty…?" Nick asked tentatively, unsure of what to do.

"It's alright, Nick. She needs to do this. They both need to do this." Bill said softly. "When they're done, please ask Sookie to meet me in my office." Nick bowed his head in acknowledgement of his King's command and with that, Bill left the room.

Sookie led Eric to the living room and closed the door quietly. She made her way to the sofa and sat down. Sookie motioned to the armchair opposite her, and Eric sat down. He looked at her a bit incredulously. He couldn't imagine what she had to say to him. His curiosity got the better of him and he set the cases on the table between them.

Eric spoke first; to prove to her he was still in control. "You got what you wanted, Sookie. What else do you want?" Eric asked her coldly.

Sookie folded her hands on her lap. "Eric, the days when we were together, I'll never forget that. But, you can't force love. You're just gonna end up hurting yourself. I care for you, in an odd way, I do. But, my feelings for you, whatever they are, can't be compared to how I feel about Bill." Sookie paused briefly to look at Eric. He was glaring at her, but Sookie was determined to do this.

Sookie pushed a strand of hair behind her ear before continuing, "Out there, there's someone else for you, someone who really cares about you. Like… Like Pam."

"Pam?" Eric repeated; his voice was filled with surprise and confusion.

"Yes. She cares about you a great deal. I'd say… She loves you." Sookie said gently. Eric was silent as he seemed to contemplate her words.

"Eric, please understand. I don't want you to be hurt. But, I'm not in love with you. I thought I was but, I was so confused back then and so much has happened since. I'm sorry, Eric, I truly am, but that's how I really feel and nothing will ever change that. So please… Let's put an end to this." Sookie begged him.

Eric stared at Sookie. Granted, a large part of his desire for her was because Sookie was special, one of a kind, and he wanted her because she didn't want him. Sookie was the first woman who resisted him and it piqued his curiosity. That curiosity turned into want and desire, a determination to have her no matter what.

He was so intrigued by her, that he was hell bent to have her. The fact that she had already belonged to Compton only intensified his desire. Because of her, he'd gone from coveting an underling's plaything to being subjected to the orders of his King. It was almost funny. Almost. Eric finally saw the annoying truth. No matter how much he tried to win her, all he managed to do was to push her right back into Bill's arms. Eric finally understood that he couldn't win, at least, not yet.

As they talked, Eric's mind was already working furiously, scheming new plans. But he knew that right now, there was nothing that he could do. So Eric did what he did best, he laid out his best smoke screen. He looked at her and said, "Very well, Sookie. You've made your choice," Eric said, not bothering to cover up his sarcasm. "I hope you'll be happy."

He got up from his seat and grabbed the briefcases from the table. A thought popped into Eric's mind and he realized it was the perfect parting shot, "I do have to say though, I never thought that you, of all people, would willingly give up your personal control, for what? To prove yourself to him? Think about it, Sookie, do you really want him or do you just think you want him? And what about him? You might think that Bill Compton is the sweetest vampire ever, but he's still a vampire. How do you know that he's not just playing you? You did hurt him and he is no stranger to the concept of deception, which I'm sure you're familiar with. I hope you won't regret your decision." With that, Eric turned away and left the room.

Sookie sat there in shock. For a few more seconds, Sookie just sat there motionlessly. After a while, she stood up and made her way out of the room. Nick was waiting for her outside.

"Sookie, His Majesty is waiting for you in his office." Nick told her.

"Okay. Thank you, Nick." Sookie walked across to Bill's office. Upon reaching the office, Sookie raised her hand to knock, but she hesitated. Eric's parting words were still ringing in her ears. Sookie took a deep breath and knocked.

"Come in." She heard Bill's voice. Sookie opened the door and stepped into the office. Bill was sitting behind his desk.

"Have you done what you needed to do?" Bill asked quietly.

"Yes." Sookie looked down at her hands. Bill noticed her tension and quickly stood up and approached her.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong?" Bill touched her chin and lifted up her face to look at him. Upon seeing the tears brimming in her eyes, Bill was alarmed. "Did he hurt you?" He growled. If Eric harmed her, Bill swore that he'd make sure that Eric Northman would meet his true death by Bill's hands.

Sookie shook her head, no, but she couldn't keep her tears at bay any longer. Bill gently wiped her tears. "Sookie, what's wrong? Please tell me…" Bill became more and more concerned.

"Bill, he's so mad and so, so, hurt. I really hurt him badly and it just makes me realize how badly I have hurt you! He hates me now and he hates you and I just know he's gonna try to get even with us Bill… how are we ever gonna make this right?" Sookie's tears flowed faster. "And I can't express how sorry I am for hurting you, but I did hurt you and…" Sookie trailed off as Bill put his finger on her lips.

"Sookie, I don't know what he said to you, but please listen to me. I love you. I love you with all that I am. I always have and I always will." Bill looked deeply into her eyes, baring his very soul for her to see. Sookie looked at him and she saw nothing but love and adoration in his eyes. "I don't care about what happened in the past, the most important thing is we now have each other and that's enough for me." Bill gently cradled her face in his hands.

"I love you too, Bill." Sookie sniffed. "And I'm sorry for doubting you. Please forgive me…" She apologized sincerely.

"Of course." Bill smiled dotingly at her and he bent his head to capture her lips with his in a passionate kiss. Sookie wrapped her arms around his neck and her fingers played with the hair at the base of his neck. Bill moaned into the kiss and deepened it as his fangs dropped into place. It's Sookie's turn to moan as she felt his fangs. After a while, Sookie broke the kiss, breathing heavily.

Bill took her hand and led her to his desk. He sat down on his chair and pulled her down on his lap. Bill put his arms around her waist securely.

"Thank you, Bill, for everything. Thank you for helping me getting my house back, thank you for being so understanding, but most of all, thank you for loving me." Sookie whispered softly.

"You're welcome, my dearest." Bill gazed at her, "Are you alright?" Bill asked.

"Of course… I'm with you." Sookie smiled at him. Bill returned her smile. For a few moments, they just sat there, looking into each other's eyes before Sookie leaned down and captured his lips in another kiss.

"May I trouble you for one more thing, Your Majesty?" Sookie asked him softly after they pulled apart from each other. Her fingers traced the lines of his face.

"Anything for you, my love…" Bill answered hoarsely as he leaned into her touch. He struggled to control himself. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to have Sookie right here, in his office. But Bill told himself that it wasn't the right time, not yet. When the moment came, he wanted it to be more special for both of them than just a quick sex romp in the office, although he surely hoped that in the future, they'd have some of those too.

"Well, now that the house is mine again, I need some help with the furniture." Sookie grinned mischievously. Bill blinked several times; his face was filled with surprise. Sookie laughed. Bill quickly composed himself and retracted his fangs.

"Of course, I'll ask Nick to arrange for your furniture to be sent over immediately." Bill said and reached around her to the intercom on his table. He pressed a button and spoke into the intercom.

"Nick, my office, please." Bill said shortly. A few seconds later, there was a knock on the door. Sookie tried to get up, but Bill wouldn't let her.

"Bill…" Sookie protested, but Bill just grinned up at her, ignoring her protest.

"Enter." Bill called out and the door opened.

"Your Majesty, what can…" Nick paused upon seeing them. "Should I come back later?" He raised his eyebrows.

"Arrange for Sookie's furniture to be delivered to her house immediately. Ensure there are enough present to place everything as Sookie directs. We will be there soon." Bill ordered.

"Certainly, my King." Nick bowed his head and left the room, but not before sending an amused look at the pair, who were still tangled together on Bill's chair.

"Oh my god… I'm so embarrassed! Rachel will hear about it soon and she'll never let me live it down." Sookie buried her face in Bill's shoulder after Nick closed the door behind him.

"Do I embarrass you, Ms. Stackhouse? In that case, maybe we should stop seeing each other." Bill said seriously.

"What? No! I'm just…" Sookie lifted up her face from his shoulder to look at him. Upon seeing the half smile on Bill's face, she knew he was just teasing her.

"You're a very bad person, Bill Compton." Sookie swatted his shoulder lightly.

"I'm a vampire, Sookie. Vampires are supposed to be bad." Bill deliberately dropped his fangs and gave her a fangy grin to emphasize his point. Sookie just rolled her eyes in exasperation. Bill chuckled and retracted his fangs.

"Come; let's get you home, Ms. Stackhouse." Bill easily lifted her from his lap and set her on her feet. Sookie smiled brightly at him. Home… She had gotten her house back. Bill planted a quick kiss on the tip of her nose before taking her hand and led her out of the office. Sookie giggled and grasped his hand tighter as she followed him outside.

*****

Eric stepped into his office and sat down on his chair. Pam entered a few seconds later and stood in front of his desk.

"Eric, what happened? What did he want now?" Pam asked him. When Eric came back from Bill's place, Pam immediately noticed that there's something different about him.

"Nothing important, Pam. He just wanted me to sign some papers." Eric said dismissively. His anger was such that he wasn't sure if he could control his temper.

Pam knew she was taking a big risk when she asked, "What papers?"

"I've returned the Stackhouse property back to Sookie." Eric leaned back into his chair. Everything inside him was in knots. His plotting, his scheming… it appeared as if things were not going to go his way anytime soon.

"You returned the house to her?" Pam asked disbelievingly.

Eric brought his mind back to the conversation at hand, "Yes, Pam. I no longer care about her house, or her, for that matter." Eric said with irritation lacing his voice. For a few moments, Pam just stood there, staring at Eric open mouthed.

"Why do you look shocked? I thought you'd be happy." Eric raised an eyebrow inquiringly.

"Eric, I… But you care about her, don't you?" Pam's features softened.

"I don't know. I don't know if I ever really thought of her as something other than something I wanted to own. Her abilities would certainly make her a good asset, but for now…" His voice trailed off and his eyes held that Eric look, Pam knew it well and for the first time in far too long, Pam was elated.

What Sookie had promised her was true, and no matter what Sookie thought she knew about Eric, she couldn't be more wrong. Eric would get what he wanted from Sookie. One way or another, she could see it all over Eric's face. Pam was suddenly very happy she wasn't Sookie Stackhouse

"Eric…" Pam started, but Eric held out his hand to stop her.

"Enough. I don't want to hear anything about this again. It's over." Eric said firmly. For the next few minutes, they just sat there in silence.

"I'm hungry. Get someone for me." Eric suddenly said, breaking the silence. Pam looked at her maker and smiled. The Eric that she knew was back.

"Of course. Who do you feel like eating, Eric?"

Eric gave Pam a sly grin.


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this is the last chapter for this story, but this is not the end to their story. I'll upload the sequel as soon as I can. 
> 
> Thank you for reading! I do hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it.

Chapter 24

Sookie was wiping down the table for the umpteenth time that evening when she felt her phone buzzing in her pocket. Her face broke into a smile when she looked at the caller display. Sookie quickly walked to the back of the bar and signaled to Sam that she was taking a break.

"Hey, Bill!" Sookie answered the phone cheerfully.

"Hello, Sookie. Where are you?" Bill asked curiously. He was sitting behind his desk, which was covered with paperwork.

"I'm at work. Why?" Sookie sat down on the step at the bottom of the staircase. Merlotte's had been busy tonight and Sookie was glad that she could sit down and rest her poor feet for a little while.

"Don't you have the day off today?" Bill frowned as he eyed the stack of reports on his desk. He had ordered all of his sheriffs to write financial reports of their area's budget and required them to submit the reports to him twice a year; in the middle of the year, as well as at the end of the year. This was to ensure he could monitor the funds and detect any suspicious activities as early as possible.

"Yup, but I'm covering for a Holly. Besides, I thought you have a lot of work tonight." Sookie looked down and wiped some food bits that stuck to her shirt.

"I do. What time will you finish?" Bill opened one of the reports and skimmed through it quickly. His eyes caught something and he flagged it for further discussion with the sheriff later.

"Around midnight, I guess." Sookie stretched her legs in front of her.

Bill glanced at his watch; it was only 9 PM. "Would you like me to pick you up from work?" Bill picked another report, noting that this one belonged to Eric. He opened the file and read through it, marking down several places.

"Nah, I'll be fine." Sookie declined his offer. "I'll see you after midnight. My house, around one?" Sookie suggested.

"That sounds good. I will see you then. Please drive carefully. Call me after you get home." Bill couldn't help but feel worried, especially about Eric. They didn't know if Eric would try anything else and Bill had a feeling that he wouldn't give up so easily.

"Okay. Honey, I have to get back to work and so do you. I'll see you later. Bye…" Sookie stood up and dusted her shorts.

"Bye, sweetheart." Bill hung up and turned his focus back to the task at hand. He went through the rest of the reports, taking note of some suspicious and dubious explanations for some missing funds.

Sookie smiled to herself. She felt ridiculously happy now. 'I feel like a lovesick teenager!' Sookie mused and shook her head. Sookie turned around and was about to climb up the steps when she saw Sam standing at the top of the stairs, peering down at her. Sookie jumped in surprise.

"Oh my stars! Sam! You almost gave me a heart attack! What are you doing there?" Sookie exclaimed, placing her hand over her wildly beating heart. She couldn't believe that she was so carried away with her phone call that she didn't notice Sam.

"Was that Compton on the phone?" Sam ignored Sookie's question and walked down the stairs toward her. "Sookie, are you getting back with him?" Sam asked with accusatory tone and scrutinized her closely.

"So what if I am? That's none of your business. And how long have you been standing there listening to my private conversation anyway?" Sookie narrowed her eyes in annoyance. Sookie tried to walk past him, but Sam blocked her way.

"After everything that he's done to you, how could you forgive him?" Sam grabbed Sookie's elbow.

"Like I said, none of your business! Now, if you excuse me, I'd like to get back to work." Sookie pulled her arm back.

"Sookie, he's nothing but trouble. How many times did you almost died because of him? And have you forgotten that you've lost your Gran because of him? Haven't you learned your lesson?" The moment those words came out from his mouth, Sam immediately regretted it. Sookie opened her mouth to say something, but Sam beat her to it.

"Sookie, I'm sorry. It was uncalled for. I shouldn't have…" Sam tried to apologize.

"No, you shouldn't have. And Bill didn't kill my Gran, Sam. I was with you when that happened, remember?" Sookie said flatly. She pushed past Sam and walked up the stairs. Sookie stopped at the top and walked into the bar, leaving Sam standing there at the steps.

Sam felt like kicking himself. He wanted to go in and apologize to Sookie again, but knowing Sookie, Sam decided to give her some time to cool down. Sam didn't know what came over him and made him say those things. Sam took a deep breath and walked back into the bar.

Sookie finished her shift earlier than expected. She quickly picked up her things from the office and drove home. It was well before midnight, when she got home. Sookie looked forward to spending some extra time with Bill. She called him to inform him that she had arrived home and ask if he wanted to come earlier.

"Sweetheart, I don't think I can make it tonight. Something came up and I have to take care of it." Bill told Sookie apologetically. Bill braced himself for an earful, but for the next few seconds, Sookie didn't say anything. "Sookie, I am so sorry. I know I made a promise, but this thing came up unexpectedly. Please give me a couple of days and after that, I am all yours." He tried to placate her.

Sookie could feel disappointment course through her, but she forced herself to sound cheerful when she said, "That's fine, Bill. I understand." If she was in a bad mood earlier, her mood now was even worse. She was looking forward to spending the rest of the night with Bill, but now it looked like she was on her own. Bill could hear her disappointment and he wasn't sure if she was angry with him or not.

"That's really okay, Bill. I'm pretty tired anyway. You go back to work and take care of whatever it is that you need to take care of. I'll see you in a couple of days." Sookie tried to reassure him. Regardless of what she felt, she understood that this was one of the concessions she had to make because of Bill's job and if it's what it took to be with him, Sookie was willing to make the sacrifice.

"Thank you, Sweetheart. I promise I will make it up to you. Good night and have a good rest." Bill was glad that Sookie was willing to understand. He had had enough on his hands right now and he was grateful for her understanding.

"Night, Bill." Sookie said with a yawn. With that, they hung up and Bill turned his attention back to Nick, who was sitting in front of him across the desk.

"Where did you hear about these hunters? Are you certain of it?" Bill looked solemn.

"Yes, your Majesty. Some of them were seen in New Orleans, Dallas, and some other cities. There's also a significant increase in the number of vampire's death in the past two weeks or so." Nick said with a gloomy expression on his face.

"Very well. Summon all of the sheriffs. We need to discuss this further before this escalates into a more serious situation." Bill ordered. Nick nodded and stood up. With a bow, he left the office to do what his King had asked him to do.

Bill leaned back in his chair. His brows knitted together in deep thought. If Nick was right, then they had a serious problem on their hands. Bill wondered briefly whether he should inform the Authority about this, but he decided to discuss this matter with his sheriffs first before doing anything else.

For the next couple of days, Sookie and Bill didn't see or call each other at all. Bill was very busy and Sookie didn't want to disturb him. She didn't know what was going on, but she reckoned it must be very important. She couldn't help but miss him, though.

'Hi, Bill! How are you doing? I just wanna tell you, I miss you." Sookie's finger hovered over the 'Send' button, unsure if she should send the text to him. After a few more seconds of hesitation, Sookie sent the message. As busy as he was, he wouldn't ignore her texts, right?

Bill's reply came in about half an hour later. 'Sookie, I am sorry that we couldn't see each other in the past couple of evenings. I've missed you too.'

Sookie smiled when she read his text. 'That's ok. I understand. Any chance of us celebrating New Year together tomorrow night?' Sookie replied.

Bill's reply came in ten minutes later. 'Of course. I will call on you tomorrow evening. We can go out for a dinner and spend the evening together, just the two of us. I will pick you up at 8. Is that alright?'

'That's great! I'm going to bed now. Good night and I'll see you tomorrow.' Sookie was grinning widely when she typed her reply. They're going on a date tomorrow!

'Good night, sweetheart. I will see you tomorrow.' Sookie read his reply before putting the phone on the bedside table. She fell asleep within minutes.

*****

At 7:50 PM in the next evening, Sookie was sitting on her sofa, waiting for Bill. When she heard knocking on her back door, Sookie rushed to the door and peeked through the curtains. Her face broke into a smile upon seeing her vampire standing there, holding a giant bouquet of flowers.

"Hi Bill." Sookie opened the door and greeted him brightly.

"Good evening. You look very gorgeous this evening, Miss Stackhouse." Bill bent down to kiss her on the cheek. Bill pulled away and presented the flowers to her. "These are for you." He gave her a sweet smile.

"Thank you. You look pretty sharp yourself, Mr. Compton." Sookie looked at him. He looked very handsome in a white shirt, well-fitting jeans, and black leather jacket.

"Come in. I'll put this in water first, and then we can go." Sookie walked into the house and Bill followed her inside.

"Where are we going anyway?" Sookie asked as she arranged the flowers into a vase she'd added water to, then put in the living room.

"It's a surprise." Bill said mysteriously, his blue eyes filled with mischief. He knew Sookie was curious by nature and she hated surprises.

"Oh, come on! You have to tell me! How about my clothes? Do I look okay?" Sookie looked down at her clothes and wondered if she should've put on something else.

"You look perfect." Bill told her softly. Bill let his eyes wander appreciatively along the length of her body. She looked stunning in her soft pink dress. The dress hugged her body like a glove and accentuated her figure. The next thing they knew, they were standing right in front of each other. Bill captured her lips with his as Sookie's hands grasped the lapels of Bill's jacket and pulled him closer to deepen the kiss; Bill's arms found their way around her waist and his hands rested on the small of her back, gently pulling her closer. They heard a soft click as Bill's fangs dropped in place. After a few moments, they pulled apart. Their foreheads were pressed together as they gazed into each other's eyes.

"We should be going." Bill retracted his fangs; his arms were still wrapped around her.

"We should." Sookie whispered softly. Bill kissed her one more time before stepping away reluctantly. They both knew that if it continued, they wouldn't be going anywhere.

Sookie put on a light white cardigan over her dress and they headed outside. Sookie locked the door behind her. Arm in arm, they walked to Bill's car. Bill opened the passenger door for her then closed the car door and went around to the driver's seat. A minute later, they were on their way.

"Where are we going?" Sookie asked again as she noticed that they were entering the highway that led to Monroe.

"I've told you, it's a surprise." Bill grinned at her mischievously and reached out to take her hand in his.

"Come on, Bill… Tell me. You know I hate surprises." Sookie tried to persuade him.

"I'm sure you will like this one. But I'm not telling you anything." Bill smirked at her. Sookie huffed in annoyance and stuck her tongue out at him. Bill just rolled his eyes at her childish antics. For the rest of the drive, they didn't say anything else. They just enjoyed the silence, their fingers still entwined together between them.

About half an hour later, Bill turned right and exited the highway. He drove straight and took a left turn before continuing to drive further into the woods. It was completely dark around them, but Sookie wasn't scared. She trusted Bill. She knew that vampire's sight in the dark was much better than human's sight in the day. After another half an hour, Bill slowed down and pulled the car into a complete stop. He turned off the engine and the next moment, he was opening Sookie's door. He helped her out of the car.

Sookie stepped out of the car and looked around. "Wow!" Sookie exclaimed softly. They were standing in a clearing that was illuminated by the moonlight and there was a lake a few feet ahead.

She realized that Bill was no longer standing beside her. She turned to look for him and noticed that he was busy rummaging around the car's trunk. "What are you doing?" Sookie asked curiously.

"The weather is very nice this evening, so I thought we could have a little picnic." Bill was balancing a huge picnic basket in one hand and a cooler in another. A checkered picnic blanket was slung over his arm. Sookie laughed out loud upon seeing him and reached out to take the blanket from him.

They walked toward the lake and found a perfect spot for their little picnic. Bill put the basket and the cooler down and Sookie spread the blanket. They sat down and opened the basket. Sookie started taking the contents out. There was Sookie's favorite bread, cheese and Virginia ham, along with some freshly baked pastries. She also found two wine glasses, some plastic plates and utensils, napkins, and a thermos.

"Oh, that must be my TruBlood." Bill explained as he peered into the cooler and pulled out a bottle of chilled wine and freshly cut fruits in a covered bowl. They arranged the food around the blanket.

"Bill, there is a lot of food! How am I going to eat them all alone? Or do you plan to hold me hostage for a couple days?" Sookie looked at the food in amazement.

"I wanted to be sure you would enjoy the picnic, so I made certain you'd have everything you liked. You forget, I've seen you eat!" Bill said with a grin.

"Cute and that's sweet, but next time, if we're going to have a picnic, let me know so that I can prepare the food." Sookie smiled widely.

"If I told you beforehand, it would not be much of a surprise, would it?" Bill grinned at her. Sookie giggled. Bill opened the wine bottle and poured the wine into one of the wine glasses. He then opened the thermos and poured some TruBlood into his glass. Sookie took some bread and made herself a simple sandwich and started eating. Sookie felt so content and relaxed. It was quiet as they ate and drank in the moonlight.

"So, how are you doing?" Bill asked a few moments later.

"Not so well." Sookie sighed and took a bite on her sandwich.

Bill looked at her worriedly. "Did something happen? Is it Eric?" Bill growled slightly.

"Calm down. I'm fine. It's not about Eric, it's about Sam." Sookie then proceeded to tell Bill about what happened the other day with Sam.

"And I haven't talked to him ever since." Sookie ended her story. "I don't understand why he hates you so much." Sookie frowned.

Bill looked thoughtful for a moment. "I do not know. Maybe he hates vampires in general. I have not spoken to Sam for months."

"Well, I know that Sam is not a big fan of vamps, but being nice to you isn't gonna kill him. I mean, he's being nice to Jess, giving her a job and all. Why can't he be nice to you?" Sookie grumbled and took a sip of her wine.

"Do not worry about him. I am sure that one day, he'll understand." Bill tried to assure her. "Do you have any plans for tomorrow?"

"I'll probably stay at home and do some cleaning. Gran said that it's a good to start a new year by cleaning the house. It's like cleaning up your past and moving on, you know." Sookie couldn't help but smile a little when she recalled her Gran's words.

"I see…" Bill nodded knowingly. They relapsed back into comfortable silence.

"So, what have you been up to for the past few days?" Sookie asked curiously after a while. She knew Bill probably wouldn't tell her anything, but she couldn't help but feel intrigued.

"I can't tell you the details as it is still under investigation. But there have been some reports of hunters." Bill took a sip of his TruBlood.

Sookie's eyes widened. "What? Like those FoTS wingnuts?"

Bill shook his head and Sookie remembered a news story she'd seen a while back. "Oh my stars! Hunters? You mean vampire hunters like those on TV? Aren't they dangerous?"

"Well, I'm not sure how vampire hunters on TV are like, but yes, they are very dangerous." Bill said.

"Are you in danger?" Sookie looked at him with fearful eyes.

"No, at least not yet." Bill said seriously. He wasn't in danger… for now. But if the hunters decided to make a move against him, Bill would be forced to take actions and most probably put himself in danger in the process. Bill wasn't sure how the Authority would handle hunters since they were unlike any other human.

"You're a King. You're supposed to have people protecting you, right?" Sookie asked anxiously.

"Yes." Bill nodded. He didn't want her to worry too much, so he didn't elaborate further. A few minutes later, Bill noticed that Sookie just sat there, holding her sandwich, but she wasn't eating it.

"Sookie, is there something wrong with the food?" Bill asked.

"No, it's great. I'm just..." Sookie paused. "Bill, just how dangerous are these hunters? Are you sure you're not in any danger?" Sookie asked; concern and fear were evident in her voice.

"You don't need to worry. Everything is under control." Bill took her hand in his and gave it a gentle, reassuring squeeze. "Let's not talk about that. We are here to celebrate New Year. Tell me, is there something in particular that you're looking forward to this coming year?" Bill steered the conversation away from the hunters.

Sookie ended up eating a sandwich and some fruit and cheese. They sat on the ground, side by side watching the moon and chatting about their plans for next year. They even managed to plan a holiday together.

"Let's sit closer to the lake." Sookie said.

"That wouldn't be a problem." Bill pulled her to her feet and they walked to the edge of the lake. Bill had brought the blanket along and he spread it over the sand at the edge of the beach. They sat on the blanket and looked across the lake, the moonlight reflecting off the dark, slightly rippled surface. How long they sat in the comfortable silence, Sookie couldn't say.

"It's so beautiful…" Sookie looked ahead of her. Sookie sighed contentedly. Bill took Sookie's hand in his and rested their hands between them. They turned their bodies slightly to face each other. Bill looked at Sookie's face intently. The breeze lightly blew her hair and she looked like a goddess under the moonlight.

"Yes, you are so beautiful, Sookie." Bill lifted his hand to catch a few strands of her hairs and let them slide through his fingers. Sookie looked up at Bill. His pale skin glowed under the moonlight. His blue eyes, filled with love, were focusing on her.

"I… um, wasn't talking about me." Sookie blushed deeply under his intense gaze.

"I was." Bill leaned forward to capture her lips with his own. He shifted closer to her and let go of her hand in favor of putting his arm around her waist. Sookie reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. Bill's tongue probed her lips and Sookie readily parted hers. Bill slipped his tongue into her mouth and deepened their kiss. Sookie's tongue slipped into Bill's mouth and Bill's fangs dropped. After a while, Sookie broke the kiss, panting heavily.

"Let's go home." Sookie whispered. Bill nodded and retracted his fangs. They quickly gathered their things, stealing kisses every now and then. Within minutes, Bill had gotten everything back into the car and they drove back to Bon Temps. Throughout the journey, they couldn't keep their hands off each other.

By some unspoken agreement, they drove back to Bill's mansion. Bill pulled the car to a stop in front and rushed around the car to help Sookie out.

"Nobody is allowed to go in for any reason. I don't want any interruption." Bill ordered his guards firmly. The guard nodded in acknowledgement of the King's order. Bill and Sookie quickly made their way into the house. Once they closed the door behind them, Bill swept Sookie off her feet and walked toward the living room. Sookie squealed and automatically wrapped her arms around his neck. They entered the living room and Bill laid her down on the couch.

"Wait here." Bill told Sookie before disappearing. A few seconds later, he was back, carrying a velvet blanket and a pillow with him. Bill closed the door behind him and arranged the blanket and the pillow in front of the fireplace before taking Sookie's hand and leading her to the blanket.

Sookie sat down on the blanket and Bill knelt down in front of her. A sense of déjà vu washed through them. Bill leaned forward to kiss her and Sookie responded eagerly. Her hands clutched the lapels of his jacket and pushed it down his shoulders. Bill shrugged his jacket off while Sookie's fingers moved to unbutton his shirt.

Bill pushed Sookie's cardigan off and threw it aside before reaching behind her to unzip her dress. He slid the dress strap down her arms and her dress followed too, lying on a pile around her.

Sookie finally finished unbuttoning his shirt and Bill shrugged it off. They stopped moving and just looked at each other.

"So beautiful…" Bill leaned down to kiss her. Sookie's hands wandered all over Bill's muscular chest, through his soft chest hair, and found his nipples. Her fingers gently fluttered over them and she was rewarded by his low moan. Bill cupped Sookie's breasts in his hand and thumbed her nipples through the thin materials of her bra. It's Sookie's turn to moan into their kiss. Bill pulled back and reached around her and unclasped her bra. It fell down to the floor, joining the rest of her clothes. Their lips met in another passionate kiss and they ran their hands all over each other's exposed skin, exploring and remapping. The contrast between their body temperatures fueled their desires even further.

Bill broke up their kiss and gently laid Sookie down on the blanket; her head resting on the pillow. Bill hooked the sides of her panties with his fingers and pulled it down her legs. He quickly divested himself of the rest of his clothing. Bill looked down at the woman lying beneath him and his fangs descended with a soft click. Sookie reached up and touched his fangs with her fingertips. How often had she dreamt of this?

"Bill, make love to me …" Sookie whispered softly. Bill moved to cover her body with his own. Sookie could feel his hardness pressing against her thigh. Sookie pulled him down for another kiss. She felt Bill's fingers caressing her body all over. Sookie groaned as she felt herself getting wetter by the moment.

Bill let go of her lips and showered her face with kisses. He moved to bury his nose in her neck, nuzzling her and inhaling her intoxicating scent. His hands moved in between her legs. Sookie arched her back, wanting him to touch her, but Bill denied her. Sookie let out a whimper. Bill lifted his head from her neck and looked at her face as he continued to tease her, refusing to touch her where she wanted it the most.

"Stop teasing…" Sookie begged him. Bill chuckled and finally gave her what she wanted. He slipped two fingers inside her and Sookie gasped loudly. Bill could feel himself growing harder as he found her wet and ready for him. Bill started moving his fingers in and out of her. He watched her face and was delighted to see that he was giving her so much pleasure.

"Bill, please… I need you…" Sookie looked at him pleadingly. She trembled and lifted up her hips urgently. Bill positioned himself in between her legs and slid into her. They both cried out when their bodies finally became one.

"Sookie… My love…" Bill looked deeply into her eyes and found her love and desires, mirroring his own. He started to move slowly. Sookie gazed into his eyes and could see fire dancing in the depth of his blue eyes. Sookie's arms wrapped around him and she ran her hands all over his back. They soon found themselves moving in a familiar rhythm. Bill thrust into her faster and Sookie met him thrust to thrust. The only sounds that could be heard in the room were the whispers of two lovers proclaiming their everlasting love to each other.

They were both close and they knew it. Sookie turned her head to one side, exposing her neck to him.

"Sookie, are you sure?" Bill asked hesitantly.

"Please…" Sookie begged him and he complied. Bill sunk his fangs into her neck and the taste of her blood drove him wild. Sookie screamed as waves of pleasure assaulted her senses, making her see stars.

Bill thrust deeper into her a few more times and found his own release only seconds later. Bill unlatched his mouth from her neck and kissed her hard as they rode out their orgasms. 

Bill pulled away from the kiss and rested his forehead on top of hers. They looked at each other's eyes deeply for a few more moments, regaining their composure. Bill tried to roll over to take his weight off her, but Sookie wouldn't allow him to.

"That was amazing…" Sookie said and reached up to stroke his hair lightly.

"Yes, it was. You are breathtaking, Sookie." Bill planted a kiss on her forehead.

After a while, Bill stood up and picked her up into his arms. He carried her upstairs to the bedroom and pulled aside the bedcovers, before laying her down on this bed. Sookie stretched out across the bed and gave him a teasing smile. Bill felt himself harden at the sight of her. He let out a low growl and climbed onto the bed on top of her. Sookie giggled and grabbed his shoulders. She pushed him onto his back and straddled him. She grinned at him and Bill grinned back; his blue eyes dancing with joy and desire.

Sookie bent down to kiss him on the mouth; her tongue traced the contour of his fangs. She pulled back and started kissing down his body. Sookie paused at his chest to kiss, and then gently nip his nipples, earning herself a low growl. Sookie continued her journey downward and her hands encircled his throbbing hardness and started stroking him. Bill propped himself up on his elbows and watched her. Sookie gave him a mischievous wink before taking him into her mouth. Bill's hips shot up involuntarily and he fell back onto the bed with a loud moan as white hot pleasure shot through him.

"Sookie… Oh." Bill's eyes fluttered close as Sookie continued to pleasure him. He could feel himself getting closer and closer to the edge at an alarming rate.

"Sweetheart, stop. Please... Stop..." Bill begged her. Sookie looked up at him questioningly. Bill placed his hands on her shoulders and pulled her up to kiss her. It took him a few moments to regain his composure. Once he did, Sookie place herself above him and she slowly sank on him, her heat engulfing him. Bill placed his hands on her hips. Sookie pressed her hand on his chest and she started moving, setting her own slow pace.

Bill was getting impatient with her slow, teasing rhythm. Without breaking their connection, he flipped them over so that now Sookie was lying on her back beneath him. Bill started thrusting into her and Sookie wrapped her legs tightly around his waist, slamming upward to meet his every thrust. It only took them a short while before they both shuddered to mind-numbing climaxes.

Bill lapped on Sookie's blood on her neck as Sookie sighed contentedly and closed her eyes, just enjoying the moment. Bill stopped drinking and gave her wound a few more licks to help it close before rolling over to his side, taking her in his arms. He then pulled the covers over them.

"Honey?" Sookie lifted her head from Bill's chest and looked up at her lover.

"Hmm…?" Bill responded, giving her a lazy smile. Sookie decided that she loved that smile, along with his other smiles.

"You know, I could be one of your great great great granddaughters too." Sookie said with mischief dancing in her brown eyes.

"Do not even joke about that, Missy." He groaned. Sookie laughed. "Besides, that is not possible." Bill told her.

"How do you know?" Sookie asked him curiously.

"I did a thorough background check on your family, remember? I know for sure that none of my descendants were involved with any of Jonas Stackhouse's." Bill raised his eyebrows at her.

"Ah yes. I forgot about that. Leave it to you to do something so creepy like that." Sookie said jokingly. Bill just glared at her. Sookie giggled and snuggled back into him. They were quiet for a few more minutes, lost in their own thoughts.

Sookie thought about what they'd been through in the past year or so. She thought about all the heartaches, the drama, and the various obstacles that they'd overcome. She thought about how, despite all of the hurts, lies, and betrayals, their love for each other had never wavered. In the end, they managed to find their way back to each other. At that moment, Sookie knew that no matter what, nothing and no one would take her away from him, nor, would she allow anyone to take him from her.

Bill's thoughts drifted to the first time that he saw Sookie. If he was being honest to himself, even from the first moment that he laid eyes on her, he was captivated by her. He wouldn't call it love, though. He was intrigued by her. His curiosity turned into wonder after she risked her own life to save him from those drainers.

After only days of knowing her, Bill found himself falling in love with her. He didn't know when or how it started, but by the time he realized it, he was too deeply in love with her to go back. To his surprise and amazement, Sookie loved him in return. How Sookie could love a man like him was beyond him, but she did and Bill was forever grateful for her love.

The night when Sookie saved him from the Ratts, Sookie did not just save him from them; she also saved him from himself. She was his light, his miracle, and his everything. Bill knew he was being selfish. He knew he didn't deserve her love, but after 150 years of torment and loneliness, he longed for some semblance of hope and happiness.

But he also knew that sooner or later, she would be taken away from him or vice versa. Bill fought hard to keep her with him. But he fought too hard. In the end, he was the one who pushed her away. The night of their breakup, his world came crashing down right before his eyes. Throughout his entire existence, he'd never known any pain greater than the pain that he felt when he lost her.

But apparently, the universe took pity on him. Sookie still loved him, despite everything that he had ever done to her, despite all the hurt that he had caused her. Bill couldn't be happier when Sookie returned to him and now, she was finally here with him. Bill tightened his arms around Sookie. She was back in his arms and Bill swore to himself that he would never let her go ever again.

"Bill…?" Sookie whispered his name, breaking his musing. Bill looked down at her and noticed the serious expression on her face.

"What's wrong?" Bill asked with a slight alarm in his voice.

"Nothing. I… um, can I ask you something?" Sookie asked nervously.

"Of course. What is it?" Bill noticed her discomfort and that made him nervous as well. He rubbed his hand along the length of her back in an attempt to put her at ease.

"Do you think…?" Sookie paused. She wasn't sure how he would react to her request. "Do you think we can have our blood bond back?"

Bill was stunned. After all of the messes caused by the blood bonds, he never imagined that she would want their bond back, ever again. Surprise flashed across Bill's face, followed by confusion.

"You want a blood bond?" Bill asked; his bewilderment was clear in his voice. Sookie just nodded her head. "Why?" Bill asked again.

"I don't know. I just… It just feels right. After a while, I kinda missed our bond." Sookie shrugged her shoulders. "I know it sounds silly and if you don't want it back… Well, that's alright. Whatever you decide is fine with me." Sookie hastily added. It suddenly occurred to her that Bill might not want it. Why would he? He didn't need to be bonded to her and she wouldn't blame him. After all, she was the one who insisted of breaking their previous bond. Sookie knew that vampires didn't form a blood bond with just anyone. Bill had given the privilege and she blew it. However, Sookie couldn't help but feel a rush of disappointment course through her at the possibility of Bill not wanting it.

"Sookie, I…" Bill was at loss of words. "I missed our bond too. I missed being able to feel you, even during my day rest. But, after everything that you, we went through to break the bonds, I thought you would never want it back." Bill stroked her cheek with his finger lightly. "Yes, I would very much like that, if it's what you want." Bill smiled at her tenderly. He was surprised, perplexed, and overjoyed at the same time.

"Then let's do it." Sookie's expression turned into one of happiness and excitement. They shifted around so that Bill was leaning comfortably against the headboard. Sookie sat on his lap, facing him.

"Sookie, are you sure about this? We are not in any rush. But once we form this bond, I will not allow it to be broken again. Not after what happened last time. So, I want you to be absolutely sure about this." Bill said seriously. He almost lost her last time and he didn't want to, no, he couldn't go through that again.

"Yes, Bill. I'm sure. I've never been more certain about anything else in my life. This is what I want. For us." Sookie nodded her head in determination. "I want to be yours again, completely." Sookie looked deeply into his eyes, willing him to believe her.

Bill reached out to touch her cheek. "Mine…" He whispered. Sookie had no idea how much he longed to call her his again. He raised his hand to his mouth and bit into his wrist. Then he quickly presented the open wound to Sookie, who promptly latched onto his wrist and drank deeply.

Bill moaned as pleasure surged through him. But it was more than just a physical pleasure. He was filled with pure joy and happiness. When Sookie swallowed the first drop of his blood, Bill could feel their bond forming. Bill sighed as he felt her familiar presence in him and around him. It filled up the emptiness that he had felt during the year she'd gone missing and every second of every day, after they broke their bond a few months ago.

Sookie raised her hands and held Bill's wrist in place so that she could drink his blood. Sookie found his blood sweet and uniquely Bill. Sookie wasn't addicted to V, but she felt that she couldn't get enough of his blood. She continued to drink deeply from him until Bill pulled his wrist away from her a few seconds later. Sookie licked her lips and watched as the wound closed almost immediately.

"You taste so good…" Sookie wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. She could feel his hardness poking her belly and she smiled into the kiss. "Somebody is eager." Sookie said teasingly.

"I am not the only one." Bill shot back as he dipped his fingers into her. Sookie let out a whimper and Bill once again flipped her under him and immediately slid into her.

"Mine…" Bill's eyes turned darker as lust and desire rose up higher and higher in him. "Mine..." He growled as he repeatedly thrust into her, claiming her as his.

"Yours..." Sookie lifted her hips up to meet him mid-thrust. Their moves got faster and more desperate. It didn't take long for them to find their release.

"Hmmm, does this mean that you're mine too?" Sookie asked Bill later as they're lying in the bed, intertwined and fully sated.

"Yes, my dear. I am yours, completely and utterly yours." Bill claimed her lips in a kiss. "It's late. Do you have to work later?" Bill asked her. He knew she was planning to do some cleaning, but he didn't know if she would be working.

"Nope. It's my day off." Sookie snuggled closer into him and yawned.

"I know you planned to do some cleaning, but will you stay with me today?" Bill asked hopefully.

"Yes, of course. Gran would be so proud; we've both finally cleaned up the past." Sookie smiled up at him sleepily. Sookie could feel her eyes drooping heavily with sleep.

"Then, here's to the New Year, I love you, Sookie." Bill planted a kiss on top of her hair lovingly.

"I love you too, Bill." Those were Sookie's last words before she drifted to sleep; Bill's arms securely wrapped around her.


End file.
